From: htakeda@Bonnie.ICS.UCI.EDU
Subject: Japanese School I
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Date: 2 Oct 92 02:27:24 GMT

This is something I posted about a year ago.  I lost my account after
I posted J.School III due to the fact that I wasn't taking a CS class.
Now I got an account back and I have been reading s.c.j for about a
month.  The "Learning Gap" posts are interesting.  But I hope this
will give you another view of education in Japan.  Well here we go
again....(remember this is the same copy that I posted last year.
Maiko-san had posted info about high schools in Japan.  I may refer to
them from time to time.)

Hi My name is Hiro Takeda.  I recently posted to offer to give more
enlightment on Schools in Japan.  I believe Maiko-san's postings are
excellent and don't need any change.  But maybe I can add to the discussion.
But First is my background.  I was born in the US(Dallas,TX) and then moved
to Montreal, Kanagawa(Japan), Funabashi, and LA.  Now I go to the Univ
of California at Irvine 50 miles SE of LA.  I lived in Japan from the
time I was in 3rd grade till 7th(1st grade in middle school: Chyoo ichi)
grade.  I have seen the elementary school system in Canada and Japan.
The middle school system in Japan and the US.  And High School and College
in the US.  So I'm basically writing and comparing the elementary and
middle schools of the countries mentioned above.  I, as Maiko, have no
experience in studying education systems so don't hold me responsible.[^.^]
OK here it goes.  (Actually I have more experience in education now)

                          MOVING TO JAPAN

The first time I entered a Japanese school in Japan was in 1979.  I first
had to go to a regional school that accepted returnees(kikokushijo) to
take a Japanese proficiency test.  You see even though this was the first
time I would live in Japan I was concidered a returnee, since both of my
parents are Japanese(So I looked like a Japanese kid), and I had Japanese
citizenship.  Well I did go to Japanese school when I was in Montreal, but
this Japanese test was very hard for me.  It was a regualar 3rd grade level
test!!!  I looked at it and took it.  But I know I didn't get more than 5
points on it out of 100.  But the teacher told me I had passed and I was
allowed into the public school in the district I lived in.  The reason why
the teacher let me pass is because the whole visit was probably an
interview.  Yes the teacher just spoke to us before the test for about 30
minutes and was listening to my Japanese.  Anyway I must've not sounded
too foreign that she let me go into the school.  The reason I didn't sound
too foreign was because of the fact that I went to Saturday school, and
Japanese was the only language spoken in my home.  Japanese inside,
English (sometimes French) outside.

The next day I went to the school with my mom and first met the Koochoo
sensei(the Pricipal).  This meeting was in the Pricipal's office and
that was the only time I was in there.  It was a nice room but very
uncomfortable.  It kind a had the feeling of a pricipal's office here.
Well then I met my teacher for the 3rd grade class I was going to be in.
Then I got to go to enter the class and be introduced to everyone in the
class up at the podium.  I hated it.  She would tell everyone that "this is
Hirotoshi Takeda.  He's a new student here and he came from Montreal
Canada.  Everyone please be good friends with him."  That was a mistake.
Now everyone was facinated that this kid was from a foreign country.
You see returnee's were pretty rare back then.  Everyone would ask me
"can you speak english?  Speak it?  Please?"  And I'd say something and
they would go "sugooooooii!!" (Woooow) (Sound familiar?).  Anyway that
day at school went by very slow.  I didn't understand the Kokugo class.
But Math and Science wasn't too bad for me.  Anyway at the end of the day
my teacher told me to bring a shitajiki(a hard plastic sheet that students
put under the paper they are writing to aid in writing with a pencil) and
all my other required belongings.  [Such as nafuda(name tags), hakerchief,
tissues, etc.]

Well that afternoon I was set up with some kids that lived near me and they
walked home with me.  After I got home my teacher came to our house to talk
to my mother.  My teacher arraged it so I would have some people to play
with that afternoon.  Some of the kids in my class came over right after
my teacher did and they showed me around.  Well the first thing I thought
of the kids were, "they're so dirty!".  This is because when I lived in
Montreal we had school clothes and play clothes.  Most kids in Japan that
I know of don't do this.  They come home from school and just go straight
out to play.  Usually in dirty places(you know how kids are) such as a
rice paddy, the woods, or just plane baseball in the field.

The kids were pretty nice and I'm still friends with most of them.
But later I would find out the scary part of Japanese society in elementary
school.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well the next day at school there was a check up on everyones belongings.
I had forgotten to bring a shitajiki.  But it was no sweat right.  Well
my teacher would go down the aisles and check what the students had.
Everyone had to put out the belongings that they were required to bring out
on the desk. i.e. Hanky, tissue, name tag, SHITAJIKI.  Its kinda like a
military belongings check as I've seen it on TV.  Well it was my turn
and I didn't have one of the things.  Well my teacher told me to stay standing
there and went on to the next person.  Well after she was done with the class
there were about 4 of us still standing.  She went to her desk and brought
out a thin tin can cover.  Which was a thin sheet metal about 30cm X 30cm.
then she went to each and everyone of us that were standing and preceded
to wack us on the head with it.  My first impression was "HEY" but I decided
not to retaliate.(I still can't believe how I didn't retaliate.  I played
Hockey in Montreal you know)  I felt like belting my teacher.  But at that
point I was more surprised that a teacher would actually pysically hit a
student than feeling the pain.  (I'll tell you about some of the classic
physical punishments and not so classic ones later)  This seemed to me a
turning point in my life in Japanese school.  I learned the fear of being
hit.  But I learned later that that was dicipline.  But now I'm not so sure.

Well getting to another subject.

                           Chyoukai

One thing that happens every month or so is the Chyoukai(meeting of students)
This was a meeting held outside when it didn't rain or snow and in the
gym when it did.  All the students in the school would gather and line up
in grade and class order.  From 1st grade first class to sixth grade fourth
class.  Anyway what would be done at this big gathering was the passing of
miscilanious information to the students as a whole.  The chyoukai was usually
held on the first of each month or the closest date to the first if the first
was on a weekend or a holiday.  The gathering would always take up one period
(which was 45 min) out of the day.  So when we had a chyoukai the first period
of that day was cancelled.
	There were several things covered in the gathering.  One thing was
they would just remind us of all the different events happening that month.
Undoukai, Ensoku, tests, holidays, etc.  They would tell us to prepare our minds
and souls (a bunch of BS) for these events.  Another thing they would do is
give out awards to outstanding students.  Some of these students would have
won something at a regional sports event, some school wide contest, zero
absences for the year, etc, etc. (Chibi Maruko got one for art in one of its
episodes)  Then another thing was the famous talk by either the Koochyo-sensei
(principal) or the Kyouto-sensei(VP).  This was usually one of the most boring
and logest talks.  He would just talk about what he/she(yes I did have a female
principal in middle school, the only one in the province) sees and wants
improved.  Then about everyday life in general and give us pointers.  But I
believe no one listend.  There may also be the singing of our school song.
Yes all Japanese schools have a school song and it is something that is
taught in the first grade.
    	Oh one thing.  All these major gatherings had a set format to it.
In the begining one teacher would go up to the podium and say the opening
words, give us the schedule, and then we'd go through the schedule and
then give the closing words.  The opening and closing words were really dumb.
They were just: "we will start the chyoukai." and "we will end the chyoukai"
Very impressive eh?
	Well that's about it on what is covered in these things.  One more
important thing though.  Throughout the ceremony everyone must be in unisin.
We would all walk in, walk out, stand up, pay attention, and sit down as one.
Well the major calls for these positions were, Kiritsu(stand up), Suware
(Sit), Yasume(at ease), Kyoutsukei(Attention!), and Rei(Bow).  So when the
Koochyo or Kyouto sensei went up on the podium you would hear this:
Kiritsu! {pause} Kyoutsukei! {pause} Rei!
and we would have to go back to the Kyoutsukei position again.  Then we'd
wait for the Koochyo or Kyouto sensei to say Suware or Yasume.  But he may
be in a bad mood and keep us standing there in the Kyoutsukei position.
Let me define these positions.  Kyoutsukei is the hardest.  You would stand
with the heels touching, feet open to a 90 degree angle, the inner part of
the knees should be touching, chest out, chin in, back straight, eyes
forward and arms straight down the side.  Then there is Yasume which is also
a standing position but less stessful.  Your feet would be about shoulder
length apart, hands behind the back, back straight, but we just generally
stood as comfortably as we could.  Usually when they say Suware, it was the
famous Taiku-suwari(exercise sitting) position.  Basiacally we would have our
legs in front of us together, inner knees touching, knees bent to a 90 degree
angle, feet flat, hands around knees locking hands at the upper shin position.
Then rei would mean to bow.  I was told that we were just supposed to go down
only 20-30 degrees.  Not 90-100 like some people do.  Then Kiritsu would just
be to stand up.  These commands are used a lot in other activities so remember
them, I'll use it again.

Well gotta go.  Continuation will be posted probably Next week!
Thanks for keeping up with me jumping around.
HIRO              htakeda@bonnie.ics.uci.edu


(remeber this is a repost.  I probably won't be able to post again or
send you copies, but I may :)  I'm too busy to send a copy one day and
repeat it again a few days later.  But I'll try my best.  Also any and all
opinions are welcomed.  Did you like this?  Should I continue?  Any other
views?  Similar views?  Anyone is welcome to post similar stuff but I do
have 5 sets on file.  And I'll send one a week.  Thanks)