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There are no school buses in Japan. Due to the country’s high safety standards, children simply walk to school. Sometimes they walk in groups (集団登下校 shuudan-tougekou), but more often, they walk to and from school on their own. On average, the walking distance is around two to four kilometers. To ensure the children’s safety, parents, teachers, and local volunteers take turns “patrolling,” watching the crosswalks and helping children get to and from school safely. Those on “patrol” duty wear neon green vests, and students are required to wear yellow hats (通学帽 tsuugaku-bou) to make them easy to spot from vehicles, helping to prevent traffic accidents.

Almost every elementary student you see walking the streets carries a square-shaped satchel called a “Randoseru.” These book bags have been used by Japanese children for over a century. Though the basic style has not changed, the designs have evolved over the years, offering a wide range of colors and various stitch styles. Randoseru backpacks are meant to last for six years, but mine actually broke after three years. So be sure to take care of your Randoseru well, especially since it costs about 30,000–40,000 yen. Yes, it is quite expensive for a school bag, which is why some parents buy them at second-hand stores.

You’ve probably heard of the “no shoes in the house” custom that’s common in many parts of Asia. That rule applies to schools too. Students are required to wear indoor slippers called “uwabaki” when they enter the building. There are shoe boxes for each student called “下駄箱 (getabako)” where they leave their outdoor shoes. Since the main purpose of the “no outdoor shoes indoors” rule is to avoid bringing in dirt, the getabako box usually has a separate shelf for uwabaki shoes. The upper shelf is for indoor shoes, and the bottom shelf is for outdoor shoes. In elementary school, students wear uwabaki shoes that look like ballet slippers (in my opinion) and cost about ¥2,000.

Kyuushoku is a school lunch program that is implemented in most public elementary and junior high schools in Japan. There is a different menu every day, which is well-balanced and full of nutrition. I remember how the menus changed depending on the season and events, like pumpkin soup on Halloween and chocolate pudding on Valentine’s Day. In addition to teaching children about a healthy diet, the program also teaches students about teamwork by having them take turns serving lunch. Lunch is served in the classroom. The “lunch ladies” bring the food, plates, and trays on a cart to each classroom. The “当番 (toban)” students (those serving) prepare the food for their classmates while wearing an apron and a hairnet. Students put the trays and plates back on the cart when they are finished.

Most Japanese schools don’t employ janitors. Instead, schools require students to clean the classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms every day. This practice is called “掃除 (souji)” and is usually done after lunch or at the end of the day for 20-30 minutes. The class is divided into small groups that are assigned different cleaning areas and tasks. The groups are usually rotated weekly to ensure every student participates in different tasks. The cleaning tasks include the following :

• Sweeping and wiping floors

• Wiping desks

• Cleaning blackboards

• Cleaning windows

• Cleaning toilets