Thread: Japanese Students

Originally Posted by Abu Dhabi

hello everyone! this was a question i had...

What are the students like in Japan? i know the culture demands perfection, but are the students that driven and determined to learn and succeed? do they really like studying, or is it a duty that needs to be done? is it for their success or for their parents? how do they compare to American students?



^_^ just wondering what it was like on the other side of the Pacific...
(and if tsurara could answer this it would be great too!)

No most of them don't really like studying more than we do.
It's true that their school system is very intensive and demanding (At least up till the point of successfully entering a university.) and that there is a lot of pressure on them from the family and relatives to succeed.

Well there arent any differences between students here in the US and the students in Japan. Its not the students that differ but the education system.

The drive to learn is up to personal determination and situations. There arent any students in Japan that wants to do better in school just because they're a Japanese student.

Originally Posted by Shinku no kage

Well there arent any differences between students here in the US and the students in Japan. Its not the students that differ but the education system.

The drive to learn is up to personal determination and situations. There arent any students in Japan that wants to do better in school just because they're a Japanese student.

I'm gonna have to disagree w/ you on that.

It's certainly not because of genetics in their race that makes them want to do better in school, but by their culture.

Japanese culture and family values always have made excellence in education a primary part of a person's honor. And I don't think I need to explain what honor means means to the Japanese.

Japan is a bigger place than most people seem to think. It's also one in which economic status varies greatly and has a huge impact on your lifestyle. Urban and rural children are incredibly different. Rich and poor children are incredibly different. Children raised in Okinawa are incredibly different from those raised in Hokkaido.

Speaking from my own experience (very isolated rural, farming/fishing town Shikoku):

Elementary students (1st-6th grade): are bright, independant, playful and play well in mixed-gender groups. They cooperate easily and are quick to try new things. The girls are usually the leaders in the classrooms but tend to be a wee bit bossy/clingy. They love to learn, as long as learning somehow resembles "playing". They are all obsessed with brand toys and already exhibit brand loyalty with favorite characters/anime/etc. plastered all over everything they own. Most of them would rather be outside than indoors and are allowed to play without supervision and bike/run/walk far from home alone or in small groups at a very young age.

The boys usually very interested in bugs, fish, card games, video games and anime. The girls are usually very interested in virtual pets, writing notes, stickers, dogs/cats/hamsters, and flowers. Most of them don't like to read (unless they're comic books) and would rather be doing more active things. Students with physical defects or odd personalities are ostracized and avoided. The teachers tell them to play together, but the children won't. They have a keen sense for things and people that are "different" and tend to avoid them. Their parents buy them lots of toys and expensive clothes but spend very little actual time with them.

They tend to be afraid of snakes, frogs, centipedes, catterpillars and spiders (even the boys) and will run away from them.

Anime they love (since it is an anime board): ~boys~ Yu Gi Oh, Naruto, Dragonball, pokemon ~girls~ Kirarin Revolution, Love and Berry

Junior High (7th-9th grade): The boys rule the classrooms and the loudest determines the attitude of the entire class. If he is a good student, it generally goes well. If he is a bad student, the class is a nightmare. The girls, for the most part, refuse to speak at all unless forced, at which point you're lucky to get a whisper out of them. Boys and girls do not mix. From this point on, the Japanese seem to believe that "boys and girls can't be friends" (I've been told this by Japanese adults many times).

Most students are not interested in studying but feel under tremendous pressure to study for and pass high school entrance exams. Those who aren't interested in high school (it's not mandatory in Japan) tune out and give up quickly, spending the rest of the year being dicks and disrupting the class for everyone else. Students with learning disabilities generally go unaided and/or unnoticed.

Students begin to segment themselves into groups according to their interests, fashion styles and what tv tells them they should be doing. Goths, geeks, jocks, class pets, pretty girls, tomboys, etc. emerge. Bullying begins hardcore. Students who are overweight, oddly-mannered, poor, or somehow stand out will be tormented verbally... sometimes during class in front of teachers.

Discipline is generally impossible as corporal punishment and removing a child from the classroom are against Japanese law. There is no detention... and the school is constantly at the mercy of angry parents. Ocaisionally a teacher will flip out and whack the crap out of a student in front of everyone, but that rarely gets back to the parents as the teachers and students both know they'd get in trouble if it did.

They are extremely competative. Sports and club activities are very important. When students lose matches, they sometimes cry. If a student is percieved to be the reason for a loss, the entire class may blame him... or he may blame himself.

It's not all bad. At this stage, they start to get some wickedly clever personalities going and tend to be much better at math and science than American students. The material they learn is harder and the expectations placed upon them heavier. They spend more time in school -- though less time in CLASSES. Most of their time in school is spent participating in school events, competitions or club activities. During these activities they work as classes (homerooms) and show an uncanny ability to put aside their differences and work together for a common goal.

The boys are extremely affectionate with their friends and don't shy from physical contact with each other. They're outspoken, funny, and have good relationships with their teachers. The girls, while quiet in class, are open and talk with one another... the back-talking and clique-heavy atmosphere of American high school girls is a bit more lax. At this stage in the game, the girls still get along fairly well: it's the boys who do (and recieve) most of the bullying.

Watching anime after 9th grade is considered "weird" and makes you otaku... they all read comics. A few of them love to read... but most will avoid real books when at all possible. That's why we have a special period to MAKE them read.

anime/manga they like: both ~ pokemon, Naruto, Death Note, Nana; boys ~ Reborn, Gintama, Dragonball ; girls ~ Love Con, Koukou Debut

Originally Posted by tsurara

Japan is a bigger place than most people seem to think. It's also one in which economic status varies greatly and has a huge impact on your lifestyle. Urban and rural children are incredibly different. Rich and poor children are incredibly different. Children raised in Okinawa are incredibly different from those raised in Hokkaido.

Speaking from my own experience (very isolated rural, farming/fishing town Shikoku):

Elementary students (1st-6th grade): are bright, independant, playful and play well in mixed-gender groups. They cooperate easily and are quick to try new things. The girls are usually the leaders in the classrooms but tend to be a wee bit bossy/clingy. They love to learn, as long as learning somehow resembles "playing". They are all obsessed with brand toys and already exhibit brand loyalty with favorite characters/anime/etc. plastered all over everything they own. Most of them would rather be outside than indoors and are allowed to play without supervision and bike/run/walk far from home alone or in small groups at a very young age.

The boys usually very interested in bugs, fish, card games, video games and anime. The girls are usually very interested in virtual pets, writing notes, stickers, dogs/cats/hamsters, and flowers. Most of them don't like to read (unless they're comic books) and would rather be doing more active things. Students with physical defects or odd personalities are ostracized and avoided. The teachers tell them to play together, but the children won't. They have a keen sense for things and people that are "different" and tend to avoid them. Their parents buy them lots of toys and expensive clothes but spend very little actual time with them.

They tend to be afraid of snakes, frogs, centipedes, catterpillars and spiders (even the boys) and will run away from them.

Anime they love (since it is an anime board): ~boys~ Yu Gi Oh, Naruto, Dragonball, pokemon ~girls~ Kirarin Revolution, Love and Berry

Junior High (7th-9th grade): The boys rule the classrooms and the loudest determines the attitude of the entire class. If he is a good student, it generally goes well. If he is a bad student, the class is a nightmare. The girls, for the most part, refuse to speak at all unless forced, at which point you're lucky to get a whisper out of them. Boys and girls do not mix. From this point on, the Japanese seem to believe that "boys and girls can't be friends" (I've been told this by Japanese adults many times).

Most students are not interested in studying but feel under tremendous pressure to study for and pass high school entrance exams. Those who aren't interested in high school (it's not mandatory in Japan) tune out and give up quickly, spending the rest of the year being dicks and disrupting the class for everyone else. Students with learning disabilities generally go unaided and/or unnoticed.

Students begin to segment themselves into groups according to their interests, fashion styles and what tv tells them they should be doing. Goths, geeks, jocks, class pets, pretty girls, tomboys, etc. emerge. Bullying begins hardcore. Students who are overweight, oddly-mannered, poor, or somehow stand out will be tormented verbally... sometimes during class in front of teachers.

Discipline is generally impossible as corporal punishment and removing a child from the classroom are against Japanese law. There is no detention... and the school is constantly at the mercy of angry parents. Ocaisionally a teacher will flip out and whack the crap out of a student in front of everyone, but that rarely gets back to the parents as the teachers and students both know they'd get in trouble if it did.

They are extremely competative. Sports and club activities are very important. When students lose matches, they sometimes cry. If a student is percieved to be the reason for a loss, the entire class may blame him... or he may blame himself.

It's not all bad. At this stage, they start to get some wickedly clever personalities going and tend to be much better at math and science than American students. The material they learn is harder and the expectations placed upon them heavier. They spend more time in school -- though less time in CLASSES. Most of their time in school is spent participating in school events, competitions or club activities. During these activities they work as classes (homerooms) and show an uncanny ability to put aside their differences and work together for a common goal.

The boys are extremely affectionate with their friends and don't shy from physical contact with each other. They're outspoken, funny, and have good relationships with their teachers. The girls, while quiet in class, are open and talk with one another... the back-talking and clique-heavy atmosphere of American high school girls is a bit more lax. At this stage in the game, the girls still get along fairly well: it's the boys who do (and recieve) most of the bullying.

Watching anime after 9th grade is considered "weird" and makes you otaku... they all read comics. A few of them love to read... but most will avoid real books when at all possible. That's why we have a special period to MAKE them read.

anime/manga they like: both ~ pokemon, Naruto, Death Note, Nana; boys ~ Reborn, Gintama, Dragonball ; girls ~ Love Con, Koukou Debut

Thanks for telling us that Japanese students aren't aliens. When the same question is asked your message will be repeated till infinity.

^_^ oh wow! thanks for all the information you guys!

Sigh. Being Japanese doesn't really make them any different. There certainly are good schools in Japan, but aren't there good schools everywhere else? Standards are dropping in Japan (and this isn't a sweeping statement!). Asians in general may be perceived as more hardworking (it's a cultural thing, I think), but among the Asians it's probably the Chinese who are the smartest of the lot. Stress levels are high in Japanese schools, but for the most part it has to do with issues other than academic achievement. People can get ostracized just because of one embarrassing photo... which can even lead to suicide. I've never really understood this, because on one hand, the Japanese seem to be open to a lot of things, they're a pretty crazy bunch; on the other hand, even the littlest matters drive them up the wall. Like, huh???

So yeah. I'd say students are generally the same regardless of where you go. It's just the education system that changes.