Highschool and Student Clubs in Japan

Breakfast in a Japanese household. My host mother made this for me

Two highschoolers in their school uniform  

Bento lunch box eaten inside the classroom

          A highschooler’s life in Japan is one of the most daunting in the world. Not only high school but also middle school when students compete to get into the best high schools which will hopefully make them more attractive to the most prestigious Japanese universities. When a student enters high school they are not only expected to do well in school, but there is also pressure to be active members in bukatsu or kurabu which are extracurricular clubs or activities (Kittaka). At a school I visited in Nichinan, Japan one of the school's main source of pride was the achievements of the student clubs. For example, the ping pong club was the best in Kyuushu, and their baseball team recruited students from all over Japan to live and train at the highschool. Nichinan Gakuen had a huge club empire. There were a wide range of clubs to choose from such as student council, anime club, art club, music club. These clubs include sports which usually hold the reputation for being the most rigorous and time consuming. At Nichinan Gakuen and some other highschools in Japan, it is somewhat frowned upon to not be apart of a club and this can be referred to as kitaku-bu also known as the “going home club” (Kittaka). In high school not only do these clubs develop strong time management skills but it also forms a core for the student’s social life. Since students take classes with the same people throughout the school year, they are able to meet other students from different classes and further their social skills. However, unlike in my experience with American education, usually a student at Nichinan Gakuen only has the ability to attend one club which limits the chance for self-exploration of interests. Since it is frowned upon to quit a club, sometimes students stick with the clubs that they are not passionate about. In addition, from talking to friends who have attended Japanese high schools apparently some clubs have negative stigmas such as the Tennis club which is known for being a place where girls can talk or flirt with boys.

                These girls in my photo are friends of mine that I made at Nichinan Gakuen. The girl on the left is a part of the music club while the girl on the right is in the English club. They are in the same class which is why they became friends. Their school day ends at 4 .m. and they continue to stay at school until around 7 p.m. when their club activities end.

This is a representation of the highschool life at Nichinan Gakuen in Nichinan, Kyuushu, Japan. Is this Japan?

Kittaka, Louise George. "All-consuming School Clubs Worry Foreign Parents." JapanTimes [Tokyo] 22 June 2014: n. pag. Print.