Japanese schools have a very different approach to education compared to American high schools, where a focus is placed on self-sufficiency, cleanliness, and responsibility. This has been highlighted by a recent video from English teacher living in Japan, Hito Bito (@hito.bito), which has amassed nearly 15 million views so far.
In the video, Hito Bito discusses the strict rules that Japanese school kids must follow. As soon as students enter the school, they must change from outdoor to indoor shoes. In addition, students clean the school from top to bottom every day and are responsible for serving themselves lunch and cleaning their trays.
The dress code is also very strict, with girls having to wear their hair above their shoulders or in a low pony, and no dyed hair or piercings allowed. Hito Bito admits that she doesn’t always follow these rules herself.
The video has received thousands of comments from people who are fascinated by the rules, with many noting how much better the schools in Japan seem compared to those in America.
In addition to the strict rules, Japanese schools have also made headlines in the past for implementing rules deemed to be too difficult for even adults to follow. In 2017, an 18-year-old Japanese woman filed a lawsuit against the Osaka prefecture government after a school forced her to dye her naturally brown hair black. Meanwhile, a private high school faced backlash in 2019 after students were forced to kneel and bow to their teacher during an assembly.
It is clear that the education system in Japan is much more regimented and strict than in the United States. This approach has its advantages and disadvantages, but it is important to recognize and appreciate the differences between the two education systems.
