The centuries-old abacus, once a common tool in many countries, has now been abandoned around the world. But in Japan, thousands of students are still taught proficiency on the abacus. Advocates argue that sliding the beads up and down with your fingers and then thinking with your brain creates a mind-body connection that helps with calculation skills and cognitive memory. Video by Terushi Sho Executive Producer: Camelia Sadeghzadeh #bbcreel #bbc #bbcnews