Taking Pride in Education
Imagine going to school all year long, starting April 1st, with only three short holidays in spring, winter, and summer. Japanese students also go to school on Saturday mornings! The high school day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and almost a hundred percent of the population is able to read and write, compared to much lower rates in other Asian countries.
Japanese high school students study the same subjects as students in most other countries— literature, social studies, mathematics, science, physical education—but they are also taught something that most Americans would consider unique: moral education. The Japanese pride themselves on being very respectful and they want their kids to follow their example. Students carry identification badges that list their names, schools, and classes. Teens are expected to follow their school's behavior code even in public. For example, school policies often require that students give up their seats for other passengers while commuting.
Education is one of the most important things in Japanese culture. In high school, students have to take a very hard test to get accepted to a good university. Most parents make sure that their children's main focus is studying for this test. Parents save their money so that their children can go to a top school.
Could a Woman Rule Japan?
There have been over one hundred rulers of Japan, including eight women who have ruled as empress. Today, the role of the emperor or empress is defined in the Japanese Constitution as the symbol of the state and the unity of the people. The emperor is a leader in more of a ceremonial sense than a political one, with almost no real power. The prime minister of Japan holds most of the political power. Officials are elected to Japan's lawmaking branch of government, called the National Diet of Japan. Members of the Diet are responsible for picking the prime minister.
Emperors, however, traditionally come from the same family called the Japanese Imperial Household, said to be descendants of the Japanese sun goddess. In 1889, the Meiji Constitution was passed, making it legal for only male descendents to rule, despite having had women rulers in the past. Over the last few years, traditionalists were getting nervous that there hadn't been a boy born in the royal family since 1965. In January 2006, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gave a speech about making it possible for women to become Empress. However, Princess Kiko just gave birth to a boy in September so the government is expected to keep it an all-boys club and not change the law.
Most Japanese people surveyed say they wouldn't mind an empress. Even Princess Kikuko, the oldest member of the Imperial family, thinks that a female ruler would be fine, citing the Queen Elizabeth II of England as a good role model. Still, there are conservative people who want to keep Japanese society more traditional.
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