Flashback- Kindergarten in Japan

I was going through some old pictures and I found some pictures of Tyler’s kindergarten many many years ago. It reminded me of the different occasions that are a really big deal throughout the school year.

One of those occasions is the first day of school. This is one day where all the kids dress up in their fancy duds, get their picture taken together with the family, greet everybody, and put their “best foot forward.” This is one of the occasions that the parents dress up too. I remember when Asher started kindergarten, it was the first year (grand opening) of his kindergarten, and for the opening ceremony, the mayor of our city even came to give a speech.

The second big event is called “undoukai.” It is essentially a sports day, where every school, from high school down to kindergarten participate in sports activities for the day. It’s such a big day that parents will come several hours before the start of the day to reserve prime spots around the school field. This isn’t just to get a good view, but also to get the best spot to take photos and videos. Tyler’s kindergarten held a huge marching band show with the children, who practiced for several months to put on the show. It was pretty impressive.

Graduation, similar to the States, is also a big event, with everyone dressing up, attending the graduation ceremony, and offering congratulations all around to the children. Usually after graduation, the family goes out for a meal at a nice restaurant to celebrate.