.: Graduation

March 1st was graduation for all high schools in my prefecture and it was very different from high school graduation back in the states. The main difference being it was a lot more serious than what we are use to back in the states for high school graduation. It starts out similar with teachers, parents and underclassmen already in their seats and then the graduates walking in by class. They did play the same music we use in the states tho. After everyone was in their place, the names of every person was called out and they stood up when their name was called.

OK quick side note. I am not sure if I have gone over this or not, but the way Japanese classes are structured is a lot different than the states. The students are first divided by grade and then by class (so when I say class I do not mean senior class). For example, class 3-5 is Grade 3 Class 5. Throughout the school day 3-5 does not change classrooms, they always stay in one classroom (room 3-5) and instead the teachers move from classroom to classroom. make sense? good.

OK, after one all of one classes's names are called, one student from the class goes up to the stage bows and accepts the graduation certificates for the whole class. Then the rest on to the next class and so on until everyone's name is read. There was no special (or graduating class) speaker to make (or try to make) us laugh (not that I would understand what they were saying well enough to laugh, but that is beside the point...). One student did come to speak about something but I am pretty sure it was about as formal and polite of a "congradulations speech" as you could get. Then everyone sung the school song.

After this was all done, the graduates left by class again and again the same music we use was played (kind of funny that something that is so traditional would use music that I am pretty sure isn't Japanese). Anyway, some of the graduates wore masks and stuff on the way out and that was kind of funny.