13 Japanese Schools Rules You Probably Didn’t Know

“School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside” –Lon Watters

Each country has a set of goals for development, and it makes every effort to instill these goals and ideals in the next generation. The best tool for this is the educational system. The Japanese educational system is regarded as one of the greatest in the world; they encourage practical education and the development of moral and ethical principles. But some of its strangest educational regulations make you wonder why Japan operates in such a different way.

1. Respect

Japanese schools prioritize respect over anything. It holds a significant place in Japanese educational traditions. The students must greet their teachers. When the teacher enters the classroom, every student must stand for a brief period in respect.

2. No substitute

There is no substitute teacher in Japanese school regulations for the absent instructor. Yes! I’m not lying. In the event of a teacher’s absence, pupils are expected to complete their assignments and study independently, which enhances their capacity for independent learning. You might be asking how pupils can learn independently in a classroom without forming a crowd. You must be wondering how children will learn without a teacher. However, the first topic taught in Japanese schools is discipline.

3. Grading

Students receive grades in Japan based on their participation in class, their behavior, their notes, and their tests. Since students take notes for themselves and review what they have learned in class, and because each student has a different method of memorizing information, getting ratings on notes is a little strange in many nations. Because of this reason, students have no choice but to copy and paste instead of listening to what the teacher says.

4. No rooftops

Although students walking about on rooftops in their leisure time may have appeared in Japanese school anime, no one can relate to this. Even the rooftop entrance is usually kept closed to avoid mishaps. Just the writer’s innermost desire, as seen in anime, is to stroll on rooftops.

5. No cafeteria

In Japan, students eat lunch in their classes while classes are in session. There isn’t a canteen on campus, and in some institutions, pupils aren’t even permitted to bring their lunches.

Although there are different meals offered every day, milk is always required. Since no one wants milk with their rice, this can occasionally make pupils dislike their lunch. According to Japanese school regulations, all students must consume milk every day. Whether they want to or not.

6. Clean-up

Japanese pupils are denied the sight of a janitor who comes to clean up after the break. After lunch, teachers and students clean the classrooms; this fosters a sense of responsibility for maintaining a clean environment.

7. Shoes-off

If outside shoes are not permitted in schools, cleaning the classrooms might not be that tough. Yes! The kid changes their inside shoes as soon as they go to school and keeps them in their lockers.

8. Natural appearance

Japanese school regulations place a lot of emphasis on students’ overall appearance. Girls in high school in Japan are not allowed to wear jewelry, color their hair, apply cosmetics, or paint their nails. They contend that all these activities keep kids from studying, which is what they do exclusively while in school. When someone comes to school wearing makeup, they can clean it using the makeup remover that is always stocked in the classroom.

9. Japanese hairstyles for boys

In Japan, schoolboys are not allowed to have a different hairstyle. They ought to be plain, brief, straight, and black. One of the strangest school policies is the condition that anyone with curly or brown hair provide written documentation proving that this is their natural hair. Your childhood photographs would be a piece of evidence. You must straighten your hair and color it black if you can’t provide the evidence. However, some schools have started to abandon this rule.

10. Don’t fall in love

Teens at Japanese schools are not permitted to engage in romantic relationships. They are unable to confess their affection to someone in their class. According to estimates, parents and teachers maltreat 27% of Japanese high school girls for dating because of the strict standards in place in those schools. The teacher keeps an eye on every activity of the students and intervenes if something seems off.

11. Be punctual

When does class in Japan begin? Everyone must arrive on time for school, which typically starts at 8 a.m. In Japanese schools, discipline is always upheld. They put a lot of emphasis on the value of time. Students receive criticism even if they are only a few minutes late. According to Japanese school regulations, a pupil who is three times a week late is punished with early morning cleaning duties.

12. Overtime

Is there a school in Japan on Saturday? It was announced in 1992 that there would be five working days per week. The Saturday would be off. However, statistics from 2013 show that 5.7% of elementary schools and 6.3% of high schools are open on Saturdays. Additionally, the kid participated in co-curricular activities for hours after school and at least once a month on a Saturday.

13. No cell phones

Japanese school policies forbid using cell phones in classrooms. Students who bring cell phones to class must turn them off and place them in a bag at the door. Even though many schools’ forbid students from bringing their phones to class, Kariya city in the Aiichi prefecture has made it illegal for pupils to use their phones after nine o’clock in the evening.

Do some research on Japanese school regulations if you are unfamiliar with the culture.