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Are Japanese High Schools Like in Anime

Introduction

Do you like Japanese schoolhouse life anime?

When you come across some Japanese cultures similar Japanese school uniforms, Japanese school luncheon, Japanese schoolhouse clubs in anime, you would wonder if there is whatever difference between school life in anime and in real life. In this commodity, I, a Japanese person who has studied in Japan for sixteen years, will tell yous Japanese school facts with Japanese sensibilities. You lot'll encounter the social structure in Japan, like the academic background-oriented society and Japanese job-hunting system also as the existent schoolhouse life that anime never tells yous.

1. Japanese School Systems

The school systems in foreign countries vary by region. Some elementary schools have four grades, but others have five grades. Middle schools unremarkably take four grades, but when it comes to high schools, some accept 4 grades, but others take 3 grades. In Japan, however, every elementary schoolhouse has six grades with students aged betwixt 6 to xi, every junior loftier schoolhouse has 3 grades with students anile between 12-14, and every loftier schoolhouse has three grades with students aged between 15-17. Later graduating from high schoolhouse, most of us become to college and larn at that place for four years. Therefore, we don't utilize grades like your country. We call fourth grade by the fourth form of uncomplicated schoolhouse, and eighth form by the second grade of inferior loftier school.

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Japanese school starts in Apr now, but we used to kickoff schoolhouse in September like the West countries. About 100 years ago, the Japanese government changed the date to Apr because of national policy. However, some Japanese say that the system makes it difficult for students to study abroad because near universities in the West countries begin in September. Therefore, Tokyo Academy which is the most advanced university in Nihon suggested September admission. They have students in Apr and September now considering it was difficult for all students to outset college in September. National exams and employment exams are held in Apr. If students get into college in September, they have to take some other gap yr after they graduated from college. Information technology'due south really hard that universities alter the start calendar month because we need to change the social construction first.

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By the way, there are lots of things to practice for us before children start elementary schools. First of all, we have to buy a schoolbag chosen "Randoseru" (ランドセル, らんどせる). It symbolizes elementary schoolhouse students in Nippon. We apply it merely at elementary school, but well-nigh of us are excited to get information technology. And so, we need to buy the things below: a pencil case, pencils, an eraser, color pencils, crayons, pair of scissors, glue, a writing mat, indoor shoes, sportswear, an umbrella, cloths for cleaning, and a disaster prevention hood. We only become textbooks for free. In improver, we take to write our name on everything, even each of the pencils. We continue writing our proper name on our property at unproblematic school, and nosotros learn to take expert care of things based on the idea of "gods exist in all things," which is a saying of many gods.

2. The Academic Background-oriented Society in Japan

Japan is an bookish background-oriented society. Japan's pedagogy is compulsory until historic period 14. Probably anime characters studied hard at inferior high school because they have to pass the entrance exam for high school. Therefore, most of us get to tutoring school since we're young as the following image from "The Rate of Going Tutoring School" shows.

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However, nosotros can't have exams of all of the high schools which nosotros want to go to. We tin choose some public high schools depending on the district which we live in. When information technology comes to private schools, we can take exams for any schools which we desire to go to equally long as we can pay the high tuition. It'due south very important to get to an advanced high school because it's the best way to pass the archway exam for avant-garde universities. Once we graduate from the university, nosotros tin can get a job at a good company and brand a lot of money. In other words, our bacon depends on the university which we graduate from.

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In this epitome from "Lifetime Income," y'all'll see that the graduates from Tokyo University earn much more than the average. Waseda University and Keio University are also advanced private universities in Japan by the way.

The Japanese employment system is unique, and all Japanese new graduates kickoff job-hunting at the same fourth dimension. We can utilise to companies which nosotros're interested in regardless of our major. In one case we go employed, we continue working at the same company until our retirement. Therefore, we take a seniority system that salary and promotion are based on. Our system is changing to a merit organization now, but still the seniority organization is strongly rooted in Japanese club.

3. Japanese School Rules and Japanese School Uniforms

Japanese schools don't have school buses. We go to schoolhouse on foot, by bicycle or bus. Teachers regularly guide students not but at schoolhouse just out of school. Teachers assist u.s. acquire traffic rules for 9 years during our commute. Because of this, Japanese pedestrians are famous for having good manners. Some high school students ride a scooter. The minimum age for driving a machine is xviii years onetime, but nosotros can get a scooter license to a higher place 16 years sometime.

Near Japanese junior high schools and high schools have school uniforms. We allocate them into ii types: sailor-style schoolhouse uniforms and blazers. Boy students don't usually wear crewman-style, and they wear "Gakuran" (学ラン, がくらん), which is a Japanese school compatible for boys. We continue wearing the same uniforms for iii years. We, particularly girls, make up one's mind which schoolhouse nosotros want to become to based on which uniform nosotros like.

In general, Japanese schoolhouse rules are strict. The hairstyles or the skirt length in anime are commonly confronting the rules. However, similar the post-obit paradigm from "The Rate of Brim Length," the skirt length in real life isn't then curt.

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Mini is over 6 inches in a higher place the knees, short is higher up the knees, regular is on the knees and long is below the knees. Nigh half of the girl students are regular or long.

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Schoolhouse uniforms are important non just for students only for their parents. I'll tell a story from the Japanese news nigh school uniforms. A public simple school in Tokyo needed new school uniforms, and they reached out to Armani for help. The full uniform fix would be JPY fourscore,000. Some of the parents complain about the price. The school doesn't force them to buy the uniforms, but they have no choice but to buy them because they don't want their children to be different from other students.

Also, about Japanese take black hair, so some teachers ask students who have naturally brown pilus to dye their hair black. Really, my teacher at high school asked my friend to dye her pilus ten years ago. She convinced him that her hair was naturally brownish so she didn't have to though. This happens sometimes in Japan and appeared in the news recently as well. Japanese schools want all students look the same.

These became topics of conversation in Nihon, but this kind of news is very rare. Japanese school rules are stricter than those in anime.

BLUE 02 Do disciplinary committees audit hair and school uniforms in existent life like anime?

BLACK 00 No, nosotros don't have those kinds of committees at school. Teachers take the part instead.

4. Japanese Classes and Exams

School hours differ by the grade. Elementary schools are four to half-dozen hours, junior high schools are six hours and loftier schools are six to viii hours. We learn "Kanji" (漢字, かんじ) at school for 12 years which foreign people studying Japanese have a hard time with.

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We larn Japanese, math, science, social studies, English, physical education (PE), home economics, music and art at elementary school and junior high schoolhouse. In addition, we learn Japanese classic literature, Chinese classic literature, chemistry, biology, geography, Japanese history and world history at loftier schoolhouse. We cull a scientific discipline course or a humanities course at the second form of high school, or eleventh form.

Nosotros rarely fail to pass on to the next grade even though we go bad grades. In junior high schoolhouse, we demand to practice well on entrance exams and personal evaluations. Nosotros need to have a positive attitude in form to do well in our personal evaluations. High schools decide whether to accept or decline examinees based on the scores on entrance exams and their evaluations. On the other paw, merely test scores are of import for entering college. Therefore, to put it in an extreme way, all we take to do at high school is to study merely for the entrance exams.

Blueish 00 Some characters in anime I watched are dozing off in class.

BLACK 00 They don't need positive evaluations at loftier school to enter college.

v. Japanese School Lunch and Break Time

We eat school lunch at elementary school and some inferior high schools, and bring a "Bento" (弁当, べんとう) to high schoolhouse. Well-nigh private high schools have a schoolhouse cafeteria, but public loftier schools rarely practise. We unremarkably eat lunch in our homeroom. Yous may have seen some anime characters eat a "Bento" on the rooftop, merely it'southward commonly closed there for safety in real life. However, we have a school shop, and compete to buy nutrient at tiffin like anime. We're lucky if our homeroom is near there considering we take a large reward.

(C)美水かがみ/らっきー☆ぱらだいす

We have x to 15 minutes break between classes. Nearly of usa have a chat with friends, but in that location are two things you wouldn't meet in anime. Kickoff, some students eat lunch during a interruption. We call information technology "Hayaben" (早弁, はやべん). Most of them are members of an athletic club and become some nutrient for lunch at the school store. Side by side, some do their homework even during a suspension. Especially at high schools, studying before classes are very important to keep up. Nosotros regard report as more of import in real life than in anime.

Blueish 02 I've heard some girls make lunch for boys. Is this truthful?

BLACK 00 Kind of. If they're a couple, and a boy asked his girlfriend to brand it earlier or a girl suggested that. Girls never make it but for a male friend without saying anything.

6. Japanese Guild Activities and School Events

Many Japanese people join a club at school. As the following image from "The Rate of Extracurricular Activities," most of us exercise some afterward school activities similar piano or swimming when we're at unproblematic schoolhouse.

©Learn Japanese with Anime

Nevertheless, we devote ourselves to guild activities at junior high school and high school. We phone call them "Bukatsu" (部活, ぶかつ). At that place are many kinds of them at school: soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, "kendo" (剣道, けんどう), "judo" (柔道, じゅうどう), "kyudo" (弓道, きゅうどう), which is the Japanese archery, fine art, photography, tea ceremony, "manga" (漫画, まんが), then on. There are lots of Japanese anime about society activities and some of us make up one's mind the guild considering of the anime we similar. In reality, many students all over Japan joined a "light music" club in 2009 when "K-On!" was starting time aired.

Students who don't join a club are in "Kitaku-bu" (帰宅部, きたくぶ), which means "Going-domicile order" in Japanese. And and then, we telephone call students who are coincidental members "Yurei-buin" (幽霊部員, ゆうれいぶいん), which means "Ghost members" in Japanese.

Nosotros learn a human relationship between our elders and our juniors through the club activities. We call our elders at school "Senpai" (先輩, せんぱい), and call our juniors "Kohai" (後輩, こうはい). The concept of "Senpai" and "Kohai" is very important in Japanese gild. We take the relationship not only at school just at piece of work. "Senpai" teach u.s.a. how to piece of work, and and then, when we have "Kohai," we support them as "Senpai." Similar this, nosotros regard age as of import. We always pay attending to the age of person we talk with and use honorifics called "Keigo" (敬語, けいご) in Japanese. That'south why we have a seniority system because historic period is more important than ability.

Also, we accept some schoolhouse events. Nosotros hold ceremonies on the outset mean solar day and the final day of each term also as an archway ceremony and a graduation ceremony. They're just a matter of form for students, but schools regard these events every bit of import because Japanese people think process is more important than results. In improver, nigh of u.s. retire from the club in the spring at the third course of high school. Then, we keep a schoolhouse trip and hold a school festival before the summer at the third grade of high school. This is because we showtime studying for the entrance exam in earnest later summer.

Blue 02 Schoolhouse festivals in anime wait really fun. How nearly in existent life?

Blackness 01 It is fun. But, we take to study and prepare for festivals at the same time. Only a few students don't help with it considering cooperation is very important in Japan.

7. Japanese School Characteristics

Japanese schools have some unique characteristics compared to foreign countries. Start, students are immune to enter a teachers' room. We get there when we desire to enquire teachers some questions, or when teachers enquire usa to come. About of us don't want to get at that place though.
Students don't always accept to motion effectually to accept lessons. We usually stay in our homeroom and wait for teachers there. We have to move around only when nosotros accept a PE lesson, music, arts and so on.
We take turns being on day duty, that is note-taking and cleaning off a chalkboard. Also, the student on duty says, "Ascent, bow, take a seat." when nosotros greet a teacher earlier class.
Each class has a daily cleaning assignment. We clean our homeroom, the school entrance way and hall, and washrooms. We don't use vacuum cleaners. Instead, we employ brooms, grit pans, and cloths. Nosotros also empty trash cans past ourselves. Cleaning is, for Japanese schools, a form of teaching. We acquire how to keep the public space clean through cleaning at schoolhouse.
Nosotros're busy during summer vacation. We get to school for guild activities in the first and 2d course of loftier school, and and then spend near of our fourth dimension studying for the entrance exam in the tertiary grade of loftier school.
Each schoolhouse has a parent-instructor clan (PTA). They back up school for children as a volunteer, only they're unremarkably chosen by random draw.
Japanese school systems take a big event of English. We learn it for six years minimum at school, but the lessons focus mainly on writing and reading. About of us can't communicate verbally in English.

BLUE 01 I had a difficult time communicating with Japanese people when I went to Nippon.

Black 00 Bring a piece of newspaper and a pen adjacent fourth dimension. We're good at writing and reading.

8. Studying for Archway Exams in Japan

Every bit I mentioned earlier, Japan is an academic groundwork-oriented society, and our bacon depends on the university which we graduate from. That's why Japanese students in real life written report hard. Plus, the entrance exams vary by universities. Therefore, we have to study for each university which nosotros want to go to. For example: we get textbooks called "Akahon" (赤本, あかほん), which ways "red volume" in Japanese. The covers are red. Each book has by bug of each university'due south test. We become some and solve the problems a lot until the entrance exams. We can go them at any bookstore.

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In addition, some students as well go to cram school. The cram schools have some courses for each university and we can choose one of them. Too, some students who didn't pass the examination for their first-choice university go to cram school one more than year, and study for the next chance. We call them "Ronin" (浪人, ろうにん). It'due south worth the effort in a Japanese society.

Even so, once we get into higher, about of usa don't study hard anymore. We spend our time hanging effectually with friends or working role time. Some call Japanese college days "the summer vacation in our life." Plus, information technology's not and so difficult to graduate from Japanese college. Who wants to study?

Bluish 00 So, people don't study at college?

Blackness 00 That depends. I failed the exam for my first choice, then I studied hard at my 2nd-option college instead.

9. Japanese School life and Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms have a shut connectedness not only with spring but with our life in Nippon. For example: "the cherry blossoms bloomed." ways "I passed the examination." in Japanese. This image from "Thousand-On!!" is the scene where Yui (唯センパイ) tells Azusa (あずにゃん) that she has passed the exam by "cherry blossoms marker".

©かきふらい・芳文社/桜高軽音部

And also, "the cherry blossoms roughshod." ways "I failed the exam." in Japanese. We get into school in spring, retire from gild in spring, have entrance exams in spring, and graduate from schoolhouse in spring. All of the turning points in school life happen in bound. Japanese people like cherry blossoms because each of us has memories associated with them. Yous would see blood-red blossoms a lot in Japanese anime because they have a close connection with our school life, and they remind us of our memories.

BLUE 02 The cherry blossoms in Japan are astonishing!

BLACK 01 Thanks. Japanese national flowers are cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums by the style.

ten. Japanese Employment System

The Japanese employment organization is unique. Japanese new graduates start job-hunting at the aforementioned time. Most large companies regard the university which students graduated from every bit important. Therefore, students from advanced universities have a big reward over the others.

Lifetime employment is besides a distinctive characteristic of our labor system. In one case we become employed, nosotros continue working at the aforementioned company until our retirement. The company rarely fires us unless nosotros make a serious mistake, and then nosotros rarely change jobs just instead go a regular pay enhance. The longer we stay at the same company, the higher we become paid. Therefore, we have a seniority system at work similar the relationship between our elders and our juniors at school.

In a sense, our salary depends on the university which nosotros graduate from. Notwithstanding, it's not of import to study difficult at college. Even our major is not so of import considering most Japanese companies desire to become non specialists simply generalists. In short, our bacon depends on how much we study at high school and which academy nosotros pass the entrance test for. Anime characters seem to enjoy their school life a lot, simply maybe they report difficult backside your back.

BLUE 00 Is there anything that foreigners who graduated from foreign college should pay attention to at a Japanese company?

BLACK 00 Honorifics. My foreign co-workers used to have an uneasy human relationship with our boss. Merely they're getting along well with each other now because they learned honorifics.

Summary

Most of the school life in anime are the same as that in real life, but we report harder at school. This is because Japan is an bookish groundwork-oriented society, and our salary has a close connexion with the university which we graduate from. Our society is irresolute, but still many people believe that. Therefore, students in real life study much harder. If you written report Japanese as hard as the states, you lot should pass the examination for JLPT or be able to watch the "Monogatari (series)" in Japanese.

The Pupil Council, which is a typical activity in Japanese schoolhouse life, is explained in particular in some other commodity. If yous would similar to know the actual situation of the Japanese Student Quango, delight refer to the link below.

Japanese Student Council: Differences betwixt Anime and Real Life

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