Graduation

Last Friday, all middle school 3rd year students graduated.

It seems a little strange to have a graduation ceremony right now, since there are still about 3 weeks remaining in the official school year. I asked one of my teachers why the ceremony is so early, and I received a rather grim answer. Apparently, the students have their graduation ceremony almost immediately after they finish taking their high school entrance exams. This way, all students will attend their graduation ceremony a few days BEFORE they receive their acceptances or rejections. This means that all the kids will still have a glimmer of hope during the ceremony, and there won't be anyone depressed over their failure. I later found out that students who didn't manage to get into their schools could take the test again a week later, after some more studying at school. The early graduation ceremony just allows the students to celebrate closure all at the same time, even though students may still go to school after their graduation.

The ceremony itself is much different compared to the graduation ceremonies in America. Firstly, ALL students participate in the ceremony, instead of just the graduating class (school is still in session for everyone else). Secondly, like any other Japanese school ceremony, students and teachers rehearse the ceremony repeatedly. The reason they need to rehearse so much is because, unlike ceremonies in America, the students all perform several songs and many showy displays of organization. All students must stand, sit, and bow together on cue, along with unified chanting and chorus singing. It seems much more like a choreographed show than a graduation, and everyone is a nervous performer with their own role. Even though the students wear their normal school uniforms instead of a cap and gown, there is a tense formality in the atmosphere.

As the ceremony was about to begin, the parents and teachers filed in and took their assigned seats. The first and second year students had already been in their seats for quite some time for the rehearsals beforehand. Next, the graduating class filed in 2-by-2 in boy/girl pairs, amidst music and a long sustained applause. Everyone stood and sang a song (including the teachers, but I stood silently because I didn't know the lyrics), and then the principal took the stage to hand out diplomas. The process was very mechanical and intentional compared to the slaughter-line queuing of American graduation ceremonies. Each student was timed perfectly with the student in front, so there was never a line. As a student's name was called, the previous student would sidestep from the podium while the current student would step forward. Then, as the principal bowed with the diploma in hand, the student receiving their diploma would bow to accept while the student who already received their diploma bowed simultaneously to excuse themselves. It looked very much like a robotic assembly line.

After getting their diplomas, the third year students turned their seats around to face their underclassmen. The second and first years then sang their song of gratitude, which made tears flow from the third years. This was followed by a musical response from the third years, who sang whilst still bawling. These songs were rehearsed, and every student had been forced to practice these songs over and over for the past few weeks. All the students already knew what songs were coming up, and that the musical "conversation" was just an organized performance, and yet they still managed to be emotional moved. I'm not sure what it is about Japanese emotions, but I'm not sure I'd feel it as much if I knew what was coming.

Finally, the third years turned back around and listened to farewell speeches from the principal and PTA president. To finish the ceremony, everyone sang the school song (which I didn't know the lyrics to either... awkward...), and the third years filed out the same way they filed in. While the graduating class left the school for the last time, all the students and teachers lined up in the hallway leading out to give their farewells.

Since I arrived last summer, shortly before the third years began preparing for their exams, I had only seen each of the students a maximum of 2 times. I didn't really know any of them, so I didn't feel very much watching them leave. I'm much closer to the second year students, who will now become third year students and graduate next spring. I'm sure I will be much more sad when that time comes, and may cry like my other teachers.

That's all for Japanese graduation ceremonies! I'm sorry I couldn't post any pictures of the ceremony itself (I didn't want to ruin the atmosphere, and I can't post any pictures because of privacy anyways), but stay tuned for more interesting stuff in the future!