As you can imagine there are differences between schools in every country. I was lucky enough to go to school almost every summer I visited Japan and started from preschool there. The reason I was able to go to school in Japan over the US’s summer break was because the Japanese school year is drastically different. They begin school in April and end in March. Their summer breaks are significantly shorter from ours which can range from two to three months while theirs last about one month. This is also due to having break after the school year ends and generally spreading out their breaks. Here are some more general differences between Japanese and American schools:
- Normally, there are also no school buses because everybody goes to the closest public school and walks there or takes a train/public bus.
- Everyone must remove their shoes at the entrance and wear indoor shoes called 上履き (uwabaki).
- There are school entrance ceremonies called 入学式 (nyūgakushiki). This occurs in first grade, beginning of junior high, high school, and college
- Normally, you have to take an entrance exam to get into a specific high school you want
- Mostly everyone is involved in after school clubs or sports in high school
Another noticeable difference is that there is no “kindergarten” in Japan. Preschool is about three years and ranges from ages 3-5. Although I was young, I vividly remember the lunches. In the US, I feel as though the lunches are usually something like lunchables, or fries and burgers. In Japan however, they tend to have a nutritious meal with vegetables, rice, and a protein. There weren’t many sweets and they tasted like a home-cooked meal. Preschool in Japan and the US are pretty similar with the same goal in mind to have a healthy and safe environment for young kids so they cab learn and flourish. I remember drawing, playing, and the normal daily activities 3, 4, and 5 year olds participate in. In preschool, I think it varies whether you wear uniform or not. I remember wearing uniforms like this:
http://www.c-seibi.ed.jp/introduction/uniform.html
Once I was 6 years old, 1st grade was a big deal. It was considered your first official year of learning and they had a school entrance ceremony. It is similar to how kindergarten is viewed as the beginning of truly learning in America. In Japan, there is a whole song called Ichinensei ni nattara (When I become a first grader). It is a cute traditional coming of age song sung by 5 year olds. The lyrics talk about when I become a first grader I wonder if I can make 100 friends and eat rice balls with them at the top of Mt. Fuji. I sang this song all the time because it was so catchy and fun like these kids below:
In first grade, my mother wanted me to experience the school that my cousins went to. Normally in elementary school kids don’t have to wear uniform. However, since the school my cousins went to was a private catholic school, I ended up wearing this:
Since I went to catholic school in the US, I loved first grade in Japan. The nuns were so kind and the familiarity of going to a similar school made it memorable. Stay tuned for my next blog to tell you more about elementary school in Japan!