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Day in the Life of a Japanese Elementary School w/ Only 8 Students

Paolo fromTOKYO・17 minutes read

The Shirasaka family, consisting of three children in rural Japan, follows traditional practices such as sleeping with their mother, eating a Japanese-style breakfast, and using a traditional school backpack. The children attend a small elementary school with unique features such as morning duties, dedicated music classes, and after-school programs for child care and soccer practice.

Insights

  • The Shirasaka family, residing in SOI, Kagoshima, Japan, follows traditional Japanese practices like eating a Japanese-style breakfast and the kids using a Rando seru backpack for school, showcasing a cultural adherence to customs and norms.
  • Cojin Shako, the public elementary school with only eight students, fosters teamwork and individual attention through unique morning duties, small class sizes, and dedicated music classes, highlighting a personalized and cooperative learning environment distinct from larger educational institutions.

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Recent questions

  • What is the typical breakfast in a Japanese household?

    Rice and miso soup

  • What instrument do Japanese elementary students learn in music classes?

    Traditional drums like Tao

  • How do Japanese elementary students commute to school?

    Walking 2 km

  • What is the size of the Shirasaka family's house?

    4 LDK

  • What is the unique feature of the public elementary school, Cojin Shako?

    Only eight students enrolled

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Summary

00:00

Japanese Family Life in Rural Kagoshima

  • The Shirasaka family consists of three kids: Idu in fifth grade, Rukia in third grade, and Ruy in second grade, living in SOI, Kagoshima, Japan.
  • They live in a spacious 4 LDK house in the countryside, where the kids have their own rooms but often choose to sleep with their mom, a common practice in Japanese households.
  • The family typically eats a Japanese-style breakfast with rice and miso soup, deviating from the common trend of eating bread in Japan.
  • The kids practice the piano before school, a traditional lesson in Japan, with swimming classes and English lessons becoming more popular in recent years.
  • The kids use a traditional Japanese school backpack called Rando seru, designed to fit A4 size books comfortably.
  • The kids walk 2 km to school every morning, taking about 30-35 minutes, longer than the average for Japanese elementary school students.
  • The public elementary school, Cojin Shako, has only eight students enrolled, with the three siblings making up almost half of the student body.
  • The school has a unique accreditation allowing students from other districts to enroll, with 11 teachers for the eight students.
  • Students participate in morning duties, such as caring for the school's rabbits, fostering teamwork and cooperation skills.
  • The school day consists of six 45-minute periods, with students studying subjects like Japanese language, calligraphy, and art, emphasizing cooperation and individual attention due to the small class sizes.

24:08

Japanese students excel in music, soccer, and care.

  • Japanese elementary school students have dedicated music classes where they learn to read music notes, sing in choirs, and experience different instruments, such as traditional drums like Tao.
  • After school, students attend a community center for an after-school program called gako hoiku, where they receive child care and assistance with homework in a safe environment.
  • The students also participate in soccer practice, which occurs at 4:30 PM and varies depending on the day, with games against other small schools scheduled on Sundays for second and third graders.
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