Figure 1.--These Japanese boys are participating in their primary school graduation and are in high spirits. This was a uniform school and the boys are wearing their blazers. Some wear their yellow hats with chin straps. Note the graduation certificates and flowers they received. These boys are from a Tokyo primary school in 2000. I'm not sure how boys dressed for their graduation at a non-uniform school.

There is also a ceremony when a child graduates from primary school. Graduation ceremonies are held in March at the end of the school year and the last month of winter. We are not sure about these ceremonies before World War II. One important difference wasc that before the War, most children ended their schooling after finishing primnary school. Now of course, primary school is just the beginning otheir education. Since the War these ceremonies have been fairly standard, although every school has their own unique approaches. . The only change we notice is the style of clothing or uniforms worn at some of the schools. This is also a major event. Boys at uniform schools wear their best uniforms, in some cases blazers, although ties are no so common. Not all schools had blazers and often the blazers were not worn on a normal school day. Here regulations varied from school to school. We are not sure how boys at non-uniform schoold dress for this occassion. The children receive a graduation certificate which might be given out in fancy holders. The children in primsry schools have worked quite hard and thus the certificates have considerable meaning to them. The boys here are from a Tokyo primary school in 2000 (figure 1). The children may also receive flowers like the boys here. We are not sure how common this was. The ceremonies look to be held during the school day. We assume mothers attended. We are not sure that fathers took off from work. Hopefully our Japanese readers will tell us more about these ceremonies at their schools.

Seasonality

Graduation ceremonies are held in March at the end of the school year and the last month of winter. The graduation ceremonies are followed the next month by entrance ceremonies when the new school year begins.

Chronology

There is also a ceremony when a child graduates from primary school. We are not sure about these ceremonies before World War II. One important difference wasc that before the War, most children ended their schooling after finishing primnary school. Now of course, primary school is just the beginning other education. We are not to sure about the immediate post-War era, but since the 1960s, these ceremonies have been fairly standard, although every school has their own unique approaches. The only change we notice is the style of clothing or uniforms worn at some of the schools. The proprtion of uniform schools has not changed significantly over the years, but there are differences in the styles worn.

Clothing

Graduation is of course a major event. Parents want the children to look their best for the event. The outfits for graduation of course vary among the schools that require and do not require uniforms. Boys at uniform schools wear their best uniforms, in some cases blazers, although ties are not so common. Not all schools had blazers and often the blazers were not worn on a normal school day. We see a lot of boys wearing white knee socks, but many schools had white knee socks as part of the ordinary uniform. Here regulations varied from school to school. We are not entirely sure how boys at non-uniform school dress for this occassion. Short pants were very common through the 1990s. We see more boys wearing long pants in the 2000s, but short pants are still widely worn. There is only a short breal between the schools years. Thus the primary graduates already have their new junior highschool unifirms. Some schools have the graduating class wear the uniform at the junior high schools they will be entering the next month.

Graduation Field Trip

One tradition for the 6th year primary students about to graduate is to take a group trip. We do not know how common this tradition is, but we notice quite a few schools sponsoring the trips. We do not have a lot of information on these graduation trips, but they seem to be more than local fied trips. We are not sure when these graduation trips began, but we note them after World War II in the 1950s. They may have begun earlier, but we can not yet confirm this. We are not sure how the trip venues were chosen. We note the children wearing their school uniforms on the trips. We also see the children wearing their regular clothes for these trips. This is not just a matter of whether the school having a uniform. We note schools with unifirms with the children wearing their regular clothes for the graduation trips.

The Ceremonies

Both primary and secondary school graduations are similar, but not identical throughout the country. The graduation ceremonies usually take place in the school auditorium, agora, or gymnasium. Red and white striped banners are other colorful decorations are hung to cover the walls and doors. Three large flags are almost always hung on the stage. They are the flag of Japan, of the city, and of the school. An impressive rented bonsai tree (they are very expensive) is often placed next to the podium. The ceremony is not only fir the school, parents, as well as local officials, and special guests attend the ceremonies. Retired teachers are also invited. The students march in with their classroom chairs. The graduates receive a graduation certificate which might be given out in fancy holders. The children in primsry schools have worked quite hard and thus the certificates have considerable meaning to them. The boys here are from a Tokyo primary school in 2000 (figure 1). The children may also receive flowers like the boys here. We are not sure how common this was. The ceremonies look to be held during the school day. We assume mothers attended. We are not sure that fathers took off from work. Hopefully our Japanese readers will tell us more about these ceremonies at their schools.

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Created: May 5, 2004
Last updated: 9:21 PM 8/20/2010