Anime Vs. Reality: Peculiarities of the Japanese School Posted Jan 20, 2022
School in anime is like cowboys in the Wild West or pirates in the Caribbean, a constant element, a place of action, and a starting point for most stories and characters created by the imagination of writers and artists from the East.
Schoolboys win wars, save worlds, giant helm robots, and conjure magical dragons. But those same schoolchildren don't forget their studies and classes, worrying about tests, sports, and festivals.
Anime wouldn't be synonymous with frozen youth if it didn't pay attention to the most free-spirited period of a person's life: adolescence.
One can have a variety of opinions about whether or not so many series and films need school. Still, at some point, even the most undemanding viewer will wonder if these animated fantasies are in line with reality.
Not everyone can settle down in Japan for ten or twenty years to experience how myths and legends are born and how much truth there is in what we are shown.
Fortunately, we inhabit a time when we don't have to take our soft spot out of our seats to find out anything-just dig through the archives and ask the right people, such as the natives.
Based on this information, let's look at free essay writer's research on the following topic "how real school life in the land of cherry blossoms works".
The Japanese education system
Many countries worldwide have their education structure and their division of the school period into stages. Japan generally follows the Western-style, where primary education is received in three stages: elementary school, middle school, and high school. Sometimes, the same school combines different age groups, but growing students often have to change schools while taking entrance exams.
All primary stages have six classes each, with children aged 6 to 11 years, entering secondary school at age 12, studying for two more years until age 14, entering high school after age 15, and staying until age 17.
It is not uncommon for students to go to college after high school, for four years, up to the age of nineteen. Because of this, the characters' absolute ages are rarely mentioned in the anime, as it is impossible to understand which school they are talking about - they are all fictional.
The school in Japan starts in April, which was noticed by the rose petals circling in the air during the welcoming ceremonies in the assembly halls, which are pretty honest, the analog of which can be called a ruler.
But it wasn't always like this; about 100 years ago, Japanese schoolchildren attended school like the rest of the world, that is, in the fall, but because of changes in national politics, the date was shifted to spring. Ше doesn't affect the routine much unless the kids plan to study abroad. Then it's worth going to specific universities, which offer to start in September. Still, in this case, the applicants have to "hang out" for another year in college to synchronize with the university's requirements. I think it will surprise anyone now that the Japanese legally become adults at 20.
Before children go to first grade, they first have to buy a school bag called "Randoseru. It symbolizes all elementary school students in Japan and is worn only by the lower grades. This kit includes plain and colored pencils, an eraser, crayons, scissors, glue, a clear writing pad, a change of indoor shoes, gym clothes, an umbrella, a cleaning cloth, and overalls in case of disasters. The only thing the little ones get for free is school books. Interestingly, all personal items must have the owner's name, based on the religious-philosophical concept of "God is in everything."
Learning Difficulties
It's no secret that the Japanese have a thing for education. Education is a cult from which it is impossible to escape until one reaches retirement age. But only elementary and middle school are compulsory, and high school or college are optional (read: expensive). After getting a bare minimum, graduates go straight to work or join the family business, which passes from generation to generation.
But even if you have money and a desire to go on to high school, you still have to get there by taking exams. Anime characters attending tutors and preparatory courses at night, slaving away without sleep in libraries, is not an exaggeration but a daily grind for almost half of all teenagers. The latter are offered a choice between private and public high schools. The difference between the two is in tuition fees and the opportunity to enter more prestigious universities and have a better chance of earning a high salary and a good place in the social hierarchy.
The Japanese employment system is unique in that all graduates start job hunting simultaneously. If someone is lucky enough to get the desired position in a reputable company, they will have to work in it until retirement. In this case, the salary and promotion depend more on the employee's age rather than their merits.
This straightforward model differs from the individual and moderately free choice in other countries. Being part of a team, a unit, or a cog in Japan is more important than personal ambition. But it is virtually impossible to achieve anything serious without the necessary "crust. There are no social elevators in the usual sense of the word.
School rules
If you've been watching anime for a long time and often, you're well aware that many unusual and exciting things happen to school characters on their way to school or when they return home. That's because there are no school buses in Japan. Children walk, ride bicycles, or take public transportation to school.
The lucky few ride scooters because the minimum age to pass the license to drive this vehicle is 16 years, while a car needs to be eighteen years of age. Teenagers know the road rules by heart because the teachers "beat" them up for the first nine years of schooling.
The school uniform is an invariable attribute and a peculiar school brand. Most Japanese middle and high schools have their style, but they can generally be divided into two types: "Matroska" and blazers. Male students usually do not wear the first option but prefer the "Gakuran.
They wear the same uniform for three years and keep it as the apple of their eye. Spoiling the clothes is like desecrating a shrine. By the way, children choosing where to study based on the appearance of their uniforms is quite common, especially among girls.
As for other appearance features, here anime is prone to another exaggeration. The vast majority of the school clothes and hairstyles of the drawn characters do not fit the current rules. The length of mini skirts, for example, can not be more than 15 centimeters above the knees, but girls do not risk walking in these, choosing those that completely hide the knees.
School uniforms are a headache for parents. Although formally, the school would not impose it on anyone, no one in their right mind would risk sending their child in simple clothes not to turn them into an outcast and a laughing stock. Sometimes it comes to the absurd when the school administration orders the design of uniforms from famous and expensive brands to stand out against the others, and the price of a set can reach up to the cosmic sum of $ 700-800.
Another interesting fact about the color of the hair of schoolchildren. It is known that the Japanese in the general masses are black-haired, so those students who have another shade, the teachers, are urged to repaint. Everyone has to look the same - like twins, you might say.
The teachers themselves, not the disciplinary committees, check compliance with school rules, as we are often and hilariously shown in soap operas.
Lessons and exams
How long do the lessons in Japanese school last? It depends on the class. Younger grades learn four to six hours a day, middle grades about six hours, and high school students have to mess up their posture for seven to eight hours in class.
Some subjects, such as Kanji, are taught for 12 years of schooling. As for others, they are recruited by age, and the list is roughly similar to what children in other countries learn.
They study math, physics, social studies, English, physical education, home economics, music, and drawing in junior and middle school. The high school adds Japanese classical literature, Chinese classical literature, chemistry, biology, geography, Japanese history, and world history. And students also need to choose a science or humanities course in the second year of high school or, more simply, in the eleventh grade.
Oddly enough, students rarely stay for a year or fail their exams, even with poor grades. An important factor is the personal recommendation of teachers and the behavior of the student in society.
One can only get into university by test scores, so the final years of schooling resemble the grueling and relentless preparation for the entrance exams. A simple truth follows: if someone in anime takes a nap in class, they are unlikely to plan to tie their future to a tertiary institution.
Changes in Japanese School
Recess is a sacred thing for young people. During this time, free from the lessons and supervision of teachers, many momentous events happen, such as love confessions or the opening of portals to other dimensions. That's what anime teaches us. What's it like? About the same as in other schools, where students are given a short break between classes.
In the lower grades and some places in the middle grades, the Japanese prefer to eat a packed lunch at the behest of their elders. But the tradition of taking a "bento," that is, a lunch box, applies primarily to high school.
Cafeterias or cafeterias are available in private schools, but public schools often lack them. Romantic rooftop lunches should be forgotten because the entrance is sealed off. And even if it were open, the conditions there can hardly be called suitable for a snack or a conversation: no place to sit, wind in your face, and lots of dust.
But the "battles for food" in canteens or at food vending machines are actual and harsh. Therefore, the classroom location can be a severe advantage of the chance to get his "tidbit" first.
The break lasts about 10-15 minutes. The anime prefers to stretch out this interval so that the characters have time to perform a few feats. In reality, you can expect to exchange a few words with friends and grab something to eat in a short period. And needless to say, quite a few students at this point are busy with schoolwork or homework? Cult, what can I say. A cult and the fear of being "unwanted."
And no "bento" from the girls - only from the girlfriends and only if they ask for it very much. Culinary traditions in anime are another sweet fantasy.
Bio:
Jana Rooheart is a blogger with extensive expertise in creative writing, psychology, and digital learning tools. Jana shares her expertise on the WowEssays.com blog, specifically sharing tricks in the field of academic writing. Jana gives practical tips that help a large number of students when attending college or university.
