We spent a complete morning meeting with representatives of the PTA for the Utsunomiya City schools. Japan has a PTA for each school. The main job of the PTA is to support all types of school activities.
Many parents volunteer to help in the classrooms all through the child's school years.
Parents are asked to volunteer to chaperone field trips even for High School age children. In America, elementary children bring money to buy school lunches and other items at school. Teachers can stay in one building their entire teaching career. Parents do not usually volunteer to help teachers in the classrooms. Parents do not go on field trips with older children.