Hello everyone! Here is the second part of our school tour. Come on! Let’s go outside the main building.

Gymnasium

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Here is the gymnasium. The gymnasium is one of the most important and most memorable places in school because this is where the school ceremonies are held. Opening ceremony, entrance ceremony and closing ceremony are held in the gymnasium. P.E classes are sometimes held here too. On rainy days when kids can’t play outside, they play in the gymnasium instead.

Swimming Pool (Pu-ru)

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It doesn’t matter if the school is big (with hundreds of students) or small (with just thirty students all in all), there will always be a swimming pool in its grounds. Elementary students learn swimming twice week starting around the month of June until the end of the first semester before the school closes for summer vacation. This is one thing about Japanese elementary schools that I really like because we don’t have it in our country. We just learn swimming by ourselves.

Playground (Undojo)

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All study no play will certainly make the Japanese children go bored. So the school has a wide playground for the kids to play. They also do their P.E classes here. And of course, this is the venue for the sports festival. It is also very safe and kept clean. No trash or broken glasses whatsoever or anything that could hurt the kids. By the way, If you use your Google map and just wander about, and see a light brown spot on it, that is a school playground! So it’s easy to find a school in Google map by its playground.

Classrooms (Kyoshitsu)

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This is the students’ classroom. Each classroom is equipped with audio video systems. The most number of students in a classroom is forty. Nothing more than that. School in the countrysides has less (I had 8 and my friend has only 3). The classrooms are very well-ventilated with big sliding windows and enough light bulbs. Doors are sliding, too. Each room has (always) two doors. Each of the chair has drawers for the students’ stuff and at the back of the room are cabinets to hold the students’ bags.

Music Room (Ongakushitshu)

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In the music room is of course the musical instruments and the star of these instruments is the piano. I like the elementary music in Japan. They always sing songs and the music echoes all over the place. So sweet to hear the kids singing. Such innocent voice.

Science Room (Rikashitsu)

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The advancement of technology starts here.This science room is fully equipped. A real laboratory. Complete with all equipments and experiment tables.

Arts and Crafts Room

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For the artistic and creative hands, this room is heaven. Many students like arts and crafts and when they do it, they are serious. It is really an art. They usually display their work of art in the school lobby and hallways.

Multi-Purpose Room (Tamokutekishitsu)

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As the name implies, the multi-purpose room is used for just any purpose. It could be a meeting room for students’ club, a changing room (for P.E uniforms) but more often, it is used as the English room. English classes are held once a week in the elementary schools.

 

Home Economics Room (Kateikashitsu)

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Like the other rooms, the home economics room is also fully-equipped to develop the kids ability more specifically in cooking. It has stoves in every table and the cabinets are full of kitchen tools and equipments.

Broadcasting Room(Housoushitsu)

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For the young journalist, this room is a very good place for practice. Selected elementary students use the broadcasting room in the morning before classes start (to greet everyone) and during lunch time (to do some announcement and explain the lunch ingredients and nutrition). Teachers also use this for some important announcements.

Computer Room (Pasokonshitsu)

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Japanese kids start learning about computers in elementary schools. And they have enough high quality computers to speed up their learning. All schools have Internet connection.

Hand-washing Area (Araiba)

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I would like to mention this area in our tour because this is very important for the kids health. Hand-washing areas are found in every corner or alley of the school. Students are trained to wash they’re hands before and after eating and after playing.
And there is one place I almost forget to mention which is liked by many students. It is the place where the school keep its pet animals. It is usually rabbits that are kept in that ‘cage’. It’s a big cage and students are trained to take care of the animals.

Conclusion

Japanese is being praised around the world for its advance technology, rich culture, clean environment and well-mannered people. If any country would like to imitate Japan, I think it is better if they start imitating Japan’s educational system. Invest in quality education and the rest will follow to the road of success.