brought to you by the letter J

pulling a laminated card with a map of japan out of a bag, me:
おーこれ何？ooooh, do you guys know what this is?

six 3-5 year olds:
ちずー！

me:
that's right!  ちずだね。何のちず？a map of...?
then, half talking to the moms and dads around the room,
まだ知らないのかな... (the parents laugh)
Okay, let's look!

4 year old girl, pointing to a dot labeled "Tokyo":
「Tokyo」って書いてある!

me:
Wow!  今読めたの？！Good job, that's right! It says 'Tokyo.' Okay, what's this say?

kids:
...

me:
It says "Osaka."

3 year old boy:
じゃ、これは？

me:
It says 'Fukuoka'.

5 year old boy:
これは？！

me:
Umm... 'Sa. Po. Ro. Sapporo!

3 year old girl:
これは？

me:
Akita.

circling Japan with my finger again,
So, what is this?

3 year old boy:
えっ、綱島は*？

me:
えーとね、「つなしま」はのってないね…

(parents laugh again)

another 3 year old boy:
ねぇ、東京行ったことあるよ！

me:
really? でもね、今東京にいるよ。あははは〜
one more try circling Japan on the card,
Okay, really, what's this??

kids:
...

me:
it's JAPAN!!
(more parent laughing)

kids:
...?

me:
そう、これは日本だよ。

kids:
...
(minds are totally being blown...)

me:
日本はね、英語でJAPANって言うよ。

kids:
なんで？

me:
え？なんで？日本は英語で「Japan」というから。
これは日本の地図だよ。Can you say 'Japan?'

kids:
...Japan!


me:
yes, and 'Japan' starts with...?

(holding up big foam "J")

kids: JJJJJJJaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!


(i think we're making progress...)




*Tsunashima is the name of the station where, I assume, the little boy lives.  it's like looking at a map of the US with New York, LA and Washington DC labeled and someone asking where AnySmallTown, USA is.  it was super cute.