In Japan, kids start cleaning their own classrooms in first grade. They keep doing it up until they graduate high school. Students also serve lunch to their classmates, whereas Western schools have janitors and cafeteria staff who do those things.
In Japan, there is a tradition that the students themselves clean their schools. For just 15 minutes at the end of the day, students use brooms, vaccuums, and cloths to clean the classrooms, bathrooms, and other school spaces.
One of the traditions of the Japanese education system is that students do o-soji (cleaning). However, it's been in print more than once that Japanese schools have no janitors because students do all the cleaning. That's simply not true. Japanese schools have non-teaching staff called yomushuji, or shuji for short.
They hire maintenance staff, but no janitors. This is because the students and staff do all of the cleaning themselves. This takes place every day, usually for 10 or 15 minutes, depending on the school, longer before vacations, and sometimes twice a day.
Generally, Japanese schools place students in one class before beginning a new school year, and students belong to the class for the whole academic year. One teacher is assigned to each class as a homeroom teacher, and he/she takes care of their homeroom class.
Many Japanese schools don't hire janitors or custodians in the traditional American role, and much of the school cleaning is done by the children themselves. One of the traditions of Japanese education is that students do o-soji (cleaning). It's one of the few things non-Japanese tend to know about Japanese schools.
Shintoism teaches that Evil is associated with dirtiness, good with cleanliness. According to Japanese adherents of Shintoism, the original creator was born in the sea; worshippers at Shinto shrines still wash their mouths out. For many, cleanliness is not next to godliness, but for the Japanese it is godliness.
In Japan, a society where study often takes precedence over sleep, inemuri, or falling asleep in public spaces, is common during class time in schools and universities and is tolerated by teachers because they know that students study hard and are exhausted (Steger, 2006) . ... ...
Japan believes that a clean environment is a sign of a focused mind. Therefore, cleaning the school translates to staying focused, being a good student, and becoming a productive member of Japanese society. Cleaning teaches responsibility to students from a young age.
No accessories nor snacks are allowed - school regulations
Having manicures and wearing accessories such as earrings or necklaces are also prohibited. Most junior high schools have their own school uniforms and dress regulations.
Japanese school rules emphasize a lot the natural appearance of the students. Japanese high school girls cannot do any makeup, hair dye, paint their nails, or wear jewellery. They believe that all these things distract students from their studies, and when they are in school, the only thing they do is study.
At the end of the 2019 school year, it began allowing girls to wear pants. At the end of 2021, girls were given the option of wearing neckties, no longer limited to bow ties.
Kids spend most of their days at school, so, unsurprisingly, classrooms are treated like homes. Students clean their space either before or after classes. There is also a strict no-shoe policy and most children wear slippers or inside shoes.
Traditionally, cleanliness has been a big part of Japanese culture, and Japanese people unconsciously make an effort in many aspects every day to keep the country clean.
Switzerland
Switzerland scored exceptionally high for both Drinking Water (100) and Sanitation (100), and matched Denmark's perfect score in Species Protection Index. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Switzerland is known for its clean water and abundant wildlife.
Finland. About 35% of Finland's energy comes from renewable energy resources. Finland ranks first in the world for Environmental Health (99.3) and Air Quality (98.8). Its Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is 78.9.
While showers are a necessary part of everyday life, the Japanese don't just take showers, they love soaking in bathtubs. Most people in Japan think of the bathtub as washing away not only their sweat and dirt from the day but their fatigue, too. so it is typically custom to take baths every night.
In Japan, almost all elementary schools and junior high schools provide school lunches. It is usual for all students to eat lunch in their classrooms. The high quality of the lunches, and the idea of using them for education, are attracting attention from overseas.
The school lunch system teaches children etiquette, serving and clearing up skills, and aims to teach them to make healthy food choices and positive lifelong eating habits. Since it also aims to have students try a wide range of food, teachers have traditionally encouraged them to eat all the food served to them.
Before beginning their elementary education at the age of 6, children have the option to attend kindergarten between the ages of 3 and 5. Compulsory education begins with 6 years of elementary school and ends with 3 years of lower secondary school for a total of 9 years.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's parliament on Friday raised the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13, a limit which had remained unchanged for more than a century and was among the world's lowest, amid calls for greater protection of children and women.
In Japan, the legal adult age is 20. Japanese law prohibits individuals under the age of 20 to drink alcohol or smoke. Regardless of age, you must not force anyone to drink or smoke as it may cause serious health and social consequences.
In general, kids have to be at school by 8:45 am. School finishes around 3:15 pm, so they have to be in school for about six and a half hours every day from Monday to Friday. However, most kids also attend after-school clubs, and many also go to juku (cram school) in the evening to do extra studying.