(the featured picture is Kihtisu animal year brush)
Hi Everyone,
It is December.
And it will be an entrance exam season soon.
In this blog,
I want to talk about the Japanese school system.
It is
6 (elementary school)
3 (junior high)
3 (high)
4 (university)
It is compulsory to graduate from Junior High school.
Inevitably, a student needs to take an entrance exam for High school and University.
It is January, February and March when students take an exam.
It is once a year, therefore, students study hard under a huge pressure.
And if they fail in the exam, they will have a
‘Ronin’ 浪人 year.
Ronin is originally a samurai who lost his job.
In the Tokugawa era, Tokugawa Shogun often gave a hard time to a lord who did not obey the Shogun and sometimes deprived him of the territory.
Especially, early in the 1600’s, many lords who supported Toyotomi, the rival of Tokugawa, were broken by the shogun.
A samurai who lost his lord had nowhere to go.
They wandered around a town and did nothing.
The Ronin word comes from the Edo Period.
Students, who fail the exam, spend an entire year to prepare for an entrance exam.
Very hard year and needs self-discipline, but they can only study for a whole year.
It is hard. And big pressure,
but
I like what a teacher of one preparation school said,
‘How many students are allowed only to study in the world?’
Yes it is the privilege of those Ronin students that they don’t have to work, earn money and help their parents.
Many children in the world have to work and earn money to support their parents.
What those Japanese students do:
Only to study.
In fact, I had one year of Ronin, and I am still thankful to my parents.
I still feel I was spoiled.
And many Japanese students are spoiled.
They need to know this .
And the same can be said to many adults in Japan who always complain about living in Japan.
I am spoiled! I recall this word for myself all the time.
One of my motivations to work.
Thank you for reading,
Toshiya
Fude Japan (Makeup brushes from Japan) 