This is what happens when your dad’s a Buddhist sculptor
The problem with school supplies When children start preschool or kindergarten in Japan, parents usually write their names on their school supplies. Oftentimes, these supplies…
School
Kinder Kids includes the multisensory art of drinking tea in preschool education program
Children are sensitive, creative, and curious. It is essential that their educational experience engages all five senses to provide the most significant opportunities for their…
An Abandoned School and Other Unusual Living Spaces in Japan
As we mentioned recently, home life in Japan is a little bit different than in Western countries. Really, it’s all about the small things: separated…
English Proficiency in Japan Is Surprisingly Low in International Rankings. Here’s Why.
As an ESL teacher for over a decade, I’ve taught a wide variety of classes. Whenever I meet new students, I naturally try to get…
Japanese Students Build Massive Boat Made Of Handmade Sweets
600 cookies (each half the size of a standard sheet of paper) 40 muffins 600 bread slices 200 cream puffs 420 leaf shaped pies 250…
Young YouTuber Wants to Stay Out of School; People on Tokyo’s Streets Weigh In
Arielle Busetto, JAPAN Forward It was the end of a blissfully-long Golden Week holiday in May, but one young man was already thinking of back-to-school…
Japanese School Forced Girls to Declare Menstrual Schedule So They Wouldn’t Skip Swimming Class
Menstruation is a deeply personal thing. Everyone’s experiences are different, and while there’s no shame in a perfectly natural bodily function, it’s something most people…
Japanese School Kids Learn English from AI Robots
by Taichi Hamakawa Leave it to a robot to teach English classes! The use of AI (artificial intelligence) robots as assistant teachers for English classes…
Japanese Teen Gets Perfect Score On University Entrance History Exam With Insane Study Guide
On January 13th-14th, high school students from all over Japan marched into test centers ready to tackle the National Center Test for University Admissions, a…
Shedding Light On Japan’s “Shady School Rules”: Japanese Twitter Users Speak Out
News of the Osakan teen who sued her school for forcing her to dye her naturally brown hair went viral last week, with numerous international…
Controversy Over Shooting of Bear Who Went For a Romp in an Elementary Schoolyard
Incidents involving the Asian Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus), classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), have become more frequent in…
“Maiden School” To Teach Men How To Become Women
According to Dentsu Diversity Lab, 7.6% (about 1 in 13) of the nearly 70,000 Japanese who participated in their 2015 survey identified themselves as “LGBT,”…
Japan Opens “YouTuber Academy” Training Courses For Elementary School Students
In 2016, Japanese newspaper Mainichi News, reported the results of a poll conducted among fourth grade boys at an elementary school in Osaka that showed…
Stay At A Magical Hogwarts-Inspired Airbnb During Your Next Vacation In Hakata City
Cheap lodging may be the preference for many travelers when journeying abroad, but the accommodation itself often leaves a large mark on memories of the…
Drinking in Class?! Tokyo’s School Izakaya: Rokunen Yonkumi
Tokyo is a wonderful place to enjoy a variety of themed cafes and bars — whether you’re in the mood to eat and drink surrounded…