Japanese Culture & Traditions

Thank for opening this "Japanese Culture & Traditions" page but have you been going through my other homepages such as Introducing Mary Ohno, Kabuki Academy, Japanese Language, already?

In this page, I'm trying to introduce you "timely Japanese culture and/or traditional events". Almost every month we Japanese have an event to celebrate and Im positive that you want to know what is it all about. Here, you can visit on this page, every month and find it out.

The topic of April is "New School Term & Cherry blossoms viewing season"

In Japanese academic year coincides with the Japanese fiscal year. From April to March of the following year constitutes one year, which is divided into three semesters, April to July, September to December and January to March. In 1900, children were obliged to begin the four years of compulsory education from age six. In that year the percentage of children attending school was ninety percent. In 1907, when compulsory education was increased to six years, the percentage of children receiving compulsory education was about ninety-nine percent. In 1947 the educational system was completely revised, and compulsory education was extended to nine years( 6 years elementary school and three years junior high school). The educational system of Japan is comprised fundamentally of six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school, three years of senior high school and four years of university. The system was set up under the direction of the U.S. Occupation forces after World WarII. With the numbers of college entrants increasing, the financial burden on parents for educational expenses has become much greater. Entrance examinations, competition for good jobs, and the insistence on educational background cause a lot of stress.

April is also the season to enjoy cherry blossom viewing. People are going out on a picnic and enjoy singing and dancing over drinking sake or eating in the open air under the full blooming cherry blossoms to celebrate the arrival of spring. . This is what we call "Hana-mi".(Flower viewing)

The cherry blossom (sakura) is the national flower of Japan and is the favorite of most Japanese. If you would like to feel that atmosphere, please come and join "Cherry Blossom Festival" (Sakura Matsuri) at Seattle Center House in Seattle, Washington (April 20,21 & 22, 2007) We, Kabuki Academy will perform Japanese dance and shamisen music, on Sat.21rd 4:30-5:00 at the Seattle Center House. Please come and have fun with us. For further information click Performances in the past & future

Any comments or question about "The New School Term Bigins" or Cherry blossom viewing? Please send e-mail.

If you want to review previous months, please click January, February, March

Go back