Asia-Pacific
GALLERY, VIDEONo calculators needed: DODEA students show off mad abacus skills
Stars and Stripes
May 13, 2015
Students from Yokosuka Naval Base, Atsugi Naval Air Station, Camp Zama and Yokota Air Base participate in the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. The soroban is a Japanese abacus that dates to 600 B.C. and is still relied on for quick and accurate calculations to complex math problems. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Students from Yokosuka Naval Base, Atsugi Naval Air Station, Camp Zama and Yokota Air Base participate in the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. The soroban is a Japanese abacus that dates to 600 B.C. and is still relied on for quick and accurate calculations to complex math problems. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Matthew Burke of The Sullivans School in Yokosuka, Japan, calculates a math problem during the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo May 13, 2015. The students were allowed to use only a Japanese soroban, or abacus, to calculate answers. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Judges from the Soroban League of Educational Association of Japan review calculations made by DODEA Pacific students during the Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Mason DeLamater writes down his answer to a complex math problem during the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. The students were allowed to use only a Japanese soroban, or abacus, to calculate the answers. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Jessica Phung reviews her answer to a complex math problem during the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Parents nervously watch their children compete in the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Ashley Ross of Joan K. Mendel Elementary School in Yokota Air Base, Japan, waits for a judge to collect her answer sheet during the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. A total of 110 middle school and elementary school students from several U.S. bases demonstrated their skills with an abacus during the competition. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Leah Hamner writes her answer to a math problem during the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. Japanese teachers from the various schools at each participating military base offered after-school programs to teach students how to use the abacus, which was the only calculating tool they were allowed to use in the competition. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Miku Asato of Joan K. Mendel Elementary School at Yokota Air Base, Japan, was named champion of the elementary school bracket at the DODEA Pacific Japan District's 33rd annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. More than 100 students from Yokosuka Naval Base, Atsugi Naval Air Station, Camp Zama and Yokota Air Base participated in the competition. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Jessica Sellers of Yokota Middle School of Yokota Air Base, Japan. was named champion of the middle school bracket at the DODEA Pacific Japan District 33rd Annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo May 13, 2015. More than 100 students from Yokosuka Naval Base, Atsugi Naval Air Station, Camp Zama and Yokota Air Base participated in the event. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
DODEA Pacific Japan District held the 33rd Annual Soroban Contest at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo on May 13, 2015. More than 100 students from Yokosuka Naval Base, Atsugi Naval Air Station, Camp Zama and Yokota Air Base participated in the competition. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
TOKYO — Students from area U.S. military base schools clicked and slid their way through complex math problems for the annual soroban competition Wednesday.
The 33rd annual Japan District Soroban Contest showcased the 3,000-year-old skill of accurately calculating math problems with the humble Japanese abacus.
A total of 110 middle school and elementary school students from Yokosuka Naval Base, Atsugi Naval Air Station, Camp Zama and Yokota Air Base came together with the Soroban League of Educational Association of Japan to demonstrate their skills with the wooden calculator.
To prepare for the competition, Japanese teachers from the various Department of Defense Dependents Schools at each base offered after-school programs to teach the craft and help the students gain confidence in the soroban’s accuracy.
“It’s a great way for sharpen math skills and learn a little about Japanese culture at the same time,” said Susumu Sunaga, a Japanese-language teacher at Joan K. Mendel Elementary School in Yokota.
After two hours of calculations, Mendel’s Miku Asato was named champion of the elementary school bracket while Jessica Sellers of Yokota Middle School had the most correct answers in the middle school bracket.