Graduation
My third year students graduated today. Why only three years in high school? Well, elementary is until the six grade here. Junior high is 7-9th and High school is 10-12th. Thus, only three years. Anywho, the third year girls that I always have lunch with said their last goodbye until who knows when. I was sad for sure, but gave them my contact info so hopefully I'll be able to see them outside of class, without trying to make it a secret. ;)
Anywho, graduation in Japan is very, very, very, very, very, very, very VERY formal. There's a lot of bowing and standing and sitting and bowing and standing and sitting. With total and complete silence in the room (well, almost, i had an uncontrollable cough today that brought me UNWANTED attention. what an embarrassment!) There's almost no emotion in the ceremony. Except for the perceived weak females that have tears in their eyes as the leave the gym that one last time.
I learned a couple of things from this whole experience. One, is that the Japanese really do NOT mess with time. If they say this is going to start at this time and END at this time, this is exactly what happens. Graduation was supposed to end at 12:05pm today and sure enough, at 12:06, the students had already walked out the gym and an announcement was being made to the parents that the ceremony was over. Just like that. No room for error. No room for delays. Can you imagine that happening in the States? Speeches run over, people get late, all sorts of things happen. One would be lucky enough to get things started five minutes after schedule let alone ending on time. Well, the Japanese don't play around. When they say something will start at 10, that actually translates into 9:45!
Okay point two. On to the graduation. Which was a LOT more low key than what we have back at home. One noticeable difference that was actually really sad was the lack of family members involved in celebrating a pivotal moment in the youth's life. In attendance were mothers and two or three fathers just for good measure. What happened to the fathers and brothers and sisters, and aunts and uncles, and cousins and friends, and so on?! Apparently, the value of work is so far entrenched in this society that one can get away with missing out on something as important as your high school graduation. Why? Because the stack of papers I have at my desk just can't wait one day! If you ask me, that's ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!!!
I don't know how the kids here do it, but I'm pretty sure that few people here have close relationships with their fathers because of this absurd work ethic.
People, work should NEVER exceed in importance to FAMILY!!!!! What do you have left after you retire? You MUST retire, you know?...
Anywho, graduation in Japan is very, very, very, very, very, very, very VERY formal. There's a lot of bowing and standing and sitting and bowing and standing and sitting. With total and complete silence in the room (well, almost, i had an uncontrollable cough today that brought me UNWANTED attention. what an embarrassment!) There's almost no emotion in the ceremony. Except for the perceived weak females that have tears in their eyes as the leave the gym that one last time.
I learned a couple of things from this whole experience. One, is that the Japanese really do NOT mess with time. If they say this is going to start at this time and END at this time, this is exactly what happens. Graduation was supposed to end at 12:05pm today and sure enough, at 12:06, the students had already walked out the gym and an announcement was being made to the parents that the ceremony was over. Just like that. No room for error. No room for delays. Can you imagine that happening in the States? Speeches run over, people get late, all sorts of things happen. One would be lucky enough to get things started five minutes after schedule let alone ending on time. Well, the Japanese don't play around. When they say something will start at 10, that actually translates into 9:45!
Okay point two. On to the graduation. Which was a LOT more low key than what we have back at home. One noticeable difference that was actually really sad was the lack of family members involved in celebrating a pivotal moment in the youth's life. In attendance were mothers and two or three fathers just for good measure. What happened to the fathers and brothers and sisters, and aunts and uncles, and cousins and friends, and so on?! Apparently, the value of work is so far entrenched in this society that one can get away with missing out on something as important as your high school graduation. Why? Because the stack of papers I have at my desk just can't wait one day! If you ask me, that's ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!!!
I don't know how the kids here do it, but I'm pretty sure that few people here have close relationships with their fathers because of this absurd work ethic.
People, work should NEVER exceed in importance to FAMILY!!!!! What do you have left after you retire? You MUST retire, you know?...
posted by Shrls at 11:41 PM
5 Comments:
hahahaha . . . my parents NEVER went to my elementary or high schools . . . and i can't even remember if we had a graduation day!!!!
my parents didn't even come to my COLLEGE graduation, and i didn't walk when i got my MA. we'll see if they'll come for the PhD graduation.:)
(doesn't mean they don't love me though.)
Z, well I don't know about your family's situation. and i'm sure the fact that your college graduation was in the States had a big factor in them not going to it, right? with them being in Malaysia and all.
also, your family might be 5 out of what 100? still as a rule, both parents and even other family members tend to attend events such as graduation. as a rule here in Japan, that's certainly not the case. i' m not saying that they don't love their children, i'm just saying that what goes on in their children's life don't rank high in their daily activities. it's sad to say, but that's what i've observed. but for sure, this statement is directed towards the men.
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Hi Sherley, this is an interesting blog .. you are so right about this, the lack of family participation in the important moment of youth's life in Japan. Now that I look back on it as an adult, I can see how very unfortunate this is, especially having experienced family love at HU.
But, strangely, when I was a high schooler , I could care less ... I was more like, "it's so embarrassing to have parents come over". When it is atarimae not to have parents at these ceremonies, actually having them come over served as an embarrassment -- as if they are the kind of over-doting PTA type parents, who can't accept that their children are growing up and don't need them any more. If you know what I mean!
Everything is relative. We all have something to learn from each other.
I hope you have a great, interesting time in Japan. What part of Japan do you live?
Hey Yayoi! Thanks for visiting the site!
About your comment, I can definitely see where you're coming from. Everything is relative, parents might want to come, but yet feel pressured by their children not to. That's hard. Actually, I didn't even know that was an issue. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. That's certainly worth noting.
By the way, I live in Ibaraki in the Kanto area! It's an hour and a half bus drive to Tokyo (Northeast of it).
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