Souji (School Cleaning)

Japan's education system is renowned for its high literacy rates and academic standards. Distinctive practices such as student-led school cleaning, lunch duty, and class meetings emphasize the development of cooperation and responsibility. Japan consistently ranks among the top performers in PISA assessments.

A unique Japanese practice positioning school cleaning as an integral educational activity. All students participate in campus cleaning, developing responsibility, cooperation, and organizational habits. Meditative and contemplative effects of cleaning are also valued. Beyond campus beautification, it functions as an important educational means for character formation.

Japan's education system is renowned for its high literacy rates and academic standards. Distinctive practices such as student-led school cleaning, lunch duty, and class meetings emphasize the development of cooperation and responsibility. Japan consistently ranks among the top performers in PISA assessments.

A Japanese abacus that performs calculations by moving beads. Believed to enhance mental arithmetic and concentration, it remains widely used in educational settings and abacus schools. International abacus competitions are held regularly, and it is recognized worldwide as an emblematic part of Japanese mathematical culture.

The emphasis on group behavior in Japanese school education. Systems where children cooperate in daily roles such as cleaning duties, lunch service, and group activities have attracted global attention. This characteristic Japanese educational approach values group harmony over individual achievement, fostering responsibility and cooperation.

A traditional Japanese art of writing with brush and ink. More than mere recording of characters, the writer's spirituality and personality are believed to manifest in brushwork. As a compulsory subject in schools, calligraphy is deeply integrated into Japanese life through New Year writing and greeting cards. Contemporary calligraphy as modern art has also gained international recognition.

A uniquely Japanese storytelling art using sequential illustrations. Performed for children in front of candy shops during the Showa era, kamishibai is an iconic scene of nostalgic Japan. It has been globally reevaluated as a presentation technique and storytelling education method, practiced as 'kamishibai' in France, the US, and beyond.