My treasure

   My artifact is an electronic piano by YAMAHA, that I was given by my grandparents when I was starting to learn piano sixteen years ago. This color is a light brown and looks like it was made of wood. Also, it is very heavy, just like a refrigerator for a family. This has many white and black keyboards, but the numbers are fewer than a real piano such as a grand piano, and an app light pianos. This is the height from the floor to the waist of humans, and the length with both arms extended. It can play many sounds, and it can be an organ, a drum, a flute, and so on. In addition, the chair has the same color as the piano, and it is very light compared with the piano. There is a cushion on the top of the chair, but it is a little hard. Also, the height from the floor to above the knee, and the length with an arm extended.

   When I started to learn the piano sixteen years ago, I could not practice the piano in my house because there was no piano there. Then, my grandparents decided to give me a piano, but my younger sister was a baby and I cannot play songs yet. Also, my grandparents thought that I cannot continue to learn piano for a long time. Therefore they bought not a real piano, but this electronic piano. After a few years, when I entered elementary school, my sister also started to learn the piano. Then, my parents asked me “Will you continue to learn the piano?”

   “Yes,” I answered.

   “Really? Can you promise to not stop learning that while you are an elementary school student?” my parents kept asking for me.

   “Yes,” I answered again. “I promise to not stop after graduating from elementary school.”

   “I see. We promised you,” my parents said, and they bought a real piano. That is why a real piano came to my house. The electronic piano moved to my room, but I did not use it because I wanted to play the real one. After a few more years, when I was in junior and high school, I still had learned the piano. However, I did not have time to play the real piano because I had club activities. I was a member of an athletic club, so the time of end was later than other clubs because we had to clean up a gym, and change clothes. Therefore I started to use the electronic piano again, and I practiced at night with headphones. Also, now, I cannot use a real piano because I live in an apartment. In my apartment, I cannot play the instruments with loud sounds. I do not learn the piano now, but I like to play the piano and I wanted to continue to play it. Hence, I sometimes play the electronic piano with headphones. Thanks to the piano, I could continue to play the piano, and I can enjoy it from now on, too.

   In this story, you can find two social problems: the influence of junior and high school club activities’ time for students, and Japanese concerns about other people too much. 

   First, the club activities in Japanese junior and high school have a time problem. It is that there is a big burden for students to join the club activities. It is because the club activities are usually too late to end every day. Due to this problem, students cannot take much time to study or relax in their house. Also, they have to go home in the late hours. Especially on a dark day, it is very dangerous. However, many schools suggest joining clubs for students. Therefore almost all students join the club activities. I think schools should think about club activities more seriously, especially the time and the choice to not join that.

   Secondly, Japanese people have a feeling problem. They are too concerned about other people. Usually, we cannot play instruments in an apartment or a mansion. It is because it interrupts the neighbor's good life to make a sound. We should keep that not only at night but also during the day. However, people usually are active or spend time out of the house during the day. Therefore, maybe, many people say it is good to play instruments during the day. I think it is allowed to play the instruments if they decide the time to play.