卒業式：Comparing Japan and the USA’s High School Graduation Ceremonies (Part 3)

Stairs. My high school graduation is a vague memory. When I looked at The US Graduation Program, I misremembered the salutatorian and forgot the student council president. The mayor attended? Who stood behind me as we waited for the principal to call our names? Weeks and months before the end of high school, I cherished…

卒業式: Comparing Japan and the USA’s High School Graduation Ceremonies (Part 2)

A few days before the graduation ceremony, both Japanese students and those from the US practice. In the States, I remember being told to note the classmate before and after me, as members of the top 10% are not in alphabetical order. The valedictorian practiced his speech. We sat, stood, and walked. A student missed his cue….

卒業式: Comparing Japan and the USA’s High School Graduation Ceremonies (Part 1)

To my Japanese friends: 卒業おめでとう (sotsugyou omedetou, happy graduation)! Today is March 1, graduation day for most secondary education institutions in Japan. The fiscal and academic year begins April 1. The academic year consists of three terms: Spring(April-July), Fall (September-December), and Winter (January-March). Also, Japanese 3rd year students (equivalent to seniors in the US) have their…

Happy New Year/あけましておめでとう！

Hello, Diary! I haven’t written in you since last year! Jan. 1 is probably my least favorite holiday. It occurs right after Christmas–the best holiday, practically all the stores are closed, and I have to stay up late for nothing. As a kid, I spent every New Year’s praying in the New Year at church. At about…