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A ceremony of considerable importance is when children begin primary schools. The ceremony is held in April when school begins which coincides with spring in Japan. This is certainly a major event in the life of every Japanese child. Many parents buy a suit for the occassion which afterwards is often rarely worn. Japanese schools have special ceremony for the new children beginning school. I don't know a great deal about the ceremony at this time, but I believe the older students welcome the new children to their school. The new children commonly dress up in suits. The styles of the suits have varied over time. I think it was common to have a portrait taken. Another sublect here is wether or not the school had a uniform. A Japanese reader tells us, "The boy here is almost certainly wearing a school uniform, not a civilian "suit." The portrait was presumably taken on his first day of school and he is wearing the new uniform. The scroll is some sort of formal certificate of matriculation." Often the parents or at least the mothers are present in the audience. Often an older student is assigned to help the new student learn about the school. We believe that Japanese parents also common took photographs or had studio portraits taken on the first day of school.
The ceremony is held in April when school begins which coincides with spring in Japan.
Matriculation ceremonies in Japan are, if anything, even bigger deals than graduations. Fathers will typically attend matriculations. It is one of the few legitimate excuses for taking a morning off from work. Whole families usually go, dressed to the nines. Fathers will often wear a formal black suit -- bit like a tuxedo except that it will be worn with a white, long tie. Matriculants themselves will be in the school uniform, if the school has one; otherwise they too will be in their best clothes, which almost always means for 1st graders a short pants suit.
A ceremony of considerable importance is when children begin primary schools. Japanese schools have special ceremony for the new children beginning school. I don't know a great deal about the ceremony at this time, but I believe the older students welcome the new children to their school. Parents attend to watch. The ceremony normally takes place in the school gymnasium converted into an auditorium for the ceremony. Folding chair are brought out for all those attending the ceremony. There are flowers, often cyrsanthums to decorate the gymnasium. This is certainly a major event in the life of every Japanese child. The new children may be presented to the whole school in thie ceremony. The parents or at least the mothers are present in the audience. I think it was common to have a portrait taken. Often an older student after the ceremony is assigned to help the new student learn about the school. Normlly the new boys wear suits and the girls dresses for the ceremony. This occurs even at schools where there is no uniform and he children wear casul clothes. Parents also dress up for the ceremony.
After the First Day ceremony the new children go to their classes for the first time. We are not entirely sure what happens on the first day. We do note that in some schools the children were issued their colored caps that they were instructed to wear to and from school each day. The brightly colored caps are a safety measure of course and help motorists see the children in Japan's crowded city streets.
The new children commonly dress up in suits and prim dresses. The styles of the suits have varied over time. Many parents buy a suit for the occassion which afterwards is often rarely worn. Of course at some schools there are uniforms which the new children wear for the first time. The photograph here appears to be a school uniform (figure 1). A Japanese reader tells us, "The boy here is almost certainly wearing a school uniform, not a civilian "suit." The portrait was presumably taken on his first day of school and he is wearing the new uniform. The scroll is some sort of formal certificate of matriculation." Another sublect here is wether or not the school had a uniform.
Of course setting off to school is a major step for every child. Thus the first day portaits are fascinating social artifacts. We believe that Japanese parents like Western parents also common took photographs or had studio portraits taken on the first day of school. We have not yet found many of these photographs, but have a few to show this important day. Many of the images show the children wearing their school satchels.
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