Hello! I’m Suzu, an exchange student from Tokyo, Japan. I’m going to introduce my country through many kinds of topics. This month, I’m sharing what Japanese high schools like with some pictures and quizzes at the end of this article. I would be happy if you enjoy learning and get interested in the differences between Japanese and American high schools!
[Vacations, semesters]
In Japan, the new academic year starts in April, and there are three semesters in a year. The first semester is from April to the middle of July, until summer vacation starts, and the second semester is from September to Christmas. After the winter vacation, the third semester begins the second week of January and it ends around the 25th of March. Then we have a spring vacation for about two weeks.
[Number of students]
We have over 300 students in each grade. There are around 40 students in each homeroom class.
[Subjects]
We are required to take almost all subjects instead of choosing what you want to learn. There are high school subjects below.
Japanese(Modern/classical literature)/Math/English
Social study(Japanese history/World history/Politics and Economics/Ethics/Geography)
Science(Biology/Chemical/Physics)/P.E./Health education/Home economics
Art(choose one from Music/Calligraphy/Arts)
[Uniform]
In my high school, students are not required to wear uniforms every day, so we can choose whatever we want to wear. Although we don’t need to wear uniforms except for the special days like the first and last days of each semester, many students like to wear uniforms or “uniform-like” outfits. Most Japanese high schools don’t allow students to wear other clothes, so my high school’s rule is rare.
[Club activities]
Normally, we choose one club in the first week of the school year soon after the entrance ceremony, and continue it without changing throughout high school. Since 12th grade students have to study very hard for college entrance exams for a long time, each club decides when its members will retire. Therefore, most of them quit their sports and any other activities by October or a little later, and focus on preparing for college.
[How to go to school]
Most students go to school by walking and using public transportation such as trains and buses. In many other school, students go to school by bicycles, but it’s not allowed in my school.
[Lunch]
Since my high school doesn’t serve lunch, students bring a lunch box called “bento” or buy something at convenience stores on their way to school. We eat in our homeroom classrooms or on benches in the hallway. However, any other high schools have cafeterias and serve lunch.
[Quiz! True or False]
1, Japanese students clean their classrooms by themselves.
2, Eating in class is allowed in Japanese schools just like American schools.
3, Japanese students have homework even during summer vacation.
The answers will be posted next month!
