What A Typical Day Looks Like While Studying in Japan (2024)

FAQs

What is the daily routine of a Japanese student? ›

My Typical Daily Schedule as a Student in Japan

I take public transportation for 2 hours to commute to school (yes, it's VERY FAR but not uncommon for kids here). I attend classes for 6 periods. I participate in after school club activities for 3 hours or so. I finally got to sleep at 11 or 12pm, if lucky.

Because working is most important for Japanese people, many hours of the day are spent for working. Japanese people usually have a meal three times a day, but the time for each meal is short because of busyness. In the morning, most people spend only a little time for breakfast, because they must go to far workplace.

Starting and finishing times vary from school to school, but most kids have to be at school for registration by 8:30 a.m., and the last class of the day usually finishes around 3:00 p.m. However, this is not the end of the school day for most kids, who stay at school to take part in sport and other club activities.

Compulsory education begins with 6 years of elementary school and ends with 3 years of lower secondary school for a total of 9 years. Students then proceed to upper secondary school, which caters to children who have completed their compulsory education and is completed in 3 years.

High School Life in Japan

High school life is not that different from junior high school. So studying the 3 core subjects, doing homework, and participating in bukatsu (clubs) still take center stage. Most of your classmates will be new faces though, as kids spread out all over the city after junior high school.

Those who spend more hours daily learning and practicing will probably progress faster than those who only dedicate a few hours per week. So for those looking to learn the language as a secondary language, at least 2—4 hours should be spent in a day learning and practicing the language.

Ear piercings are against Japanese school dress code, along with any other forms of jewelry and even painted nails. In fact, piercings of any kind are very uncommon in Japan, even for older people.

The pace of life can be slow and relaxed. As a result, people are less stressed than those living in other countries, especially when it comes to getting things done. The Japanese don't like to rush; they prefer to take their time when doing things and value efficiency over speed.

Public schools in Japan have classes five days a week, from Monday to Friday. There are also schools that have classes on Saturday. In junior high and high schools, there are six class periods each day, typically lasting 50 minutes for each.

Do Japanese students have homework? ›

Elementary school pupils get homework nearly every day. Often they have to do math drills and learn kanji (Sino-Japanese characters), which are an important part of the Japanese language.

All levels of schools have six periods per day, with the first period usually starting after 8:30am. In Japanese elementary school, each period is 45 minutes, while in junior high and high school, each period is 50 minutes, with a small break between periods.

The Japanese educational system starts with pre-school education, followed by 6 years of elementary education, then 6 years of secondary education (3 years of lower secondary and 3 years of upper secondary education), which leads to a wide range of higher education.

Students stay in the same classroom

But the Japanese system does this the other way around; instead of the students, the teachers are the ones who move between classes all day long. The students have one classroom assigned for the entire year where they take all the classes.

In junior high and high schools, there are six class periods each day, typically lasting 50 minutes for each. After classes, students clean the classrooms in shifts and then start their club activities. There are a variety of clubs such as cultural and sports ones.

In contrast, the average sleep duration found in the survey was 7.90 hours for sixth graders, 7.09 hours for third-year junior high students, and 6.45 hours for third-year students in high school, all of which did not reach the lower limit of the recommended sleep duration.

Children in Japan spend their free time after school, on weekends, or during summer vacation in a variety of ways. After school, in addition to playing at home or at a friend's house, children play in parks or playgrounds, or visit local libraries and children's centers.

Japanese students are known for their dedication to academics, and their study hours can vary depending on factors such as grade level, school curriculum, and personal goals. Japanese students often have long school days, with classes typically starting in the morning and ending in the late afternoon or early evening.