Japan's Kids Web

Japan's Kids Web

Summer Vacation Commences

The majority of public elementary and middle schools in Japan now begin their summer break around July 20 and continue for around six weeks, ending at the end of August. However, summer holidays are sometimes a bit shorter and winter breaks longer in places like Hokkaido, where winters are very harsh.

Since April marks the start of the Japanese academic year, the summer break falls between the first and second terms. A common reason for assigning homework to children is to help them retain the material from the first term. While middle school students' homework mostly consists of arithmetic, Japanese, and English exercises and drills, they also have to compose essays and produce artwork.

While older students often choose a topic of their own choosing to do research into and conduct experiments in, younger kids frequently maintain picture diaries with drawings that go along with the entries in elementary school.

The longest break that children have from school throughout the year is during summer vacation. It's an opportunity for them to see and do things they don't typically get to do or see. Many children travel on family vacations, participate in school-sponsored activities in the mountains or by the sea, and go camping.

Children spend a lot of time outside, so it's understandable that they return to school in the autumn with a deep tan.

Summertime is not only for playing if you have admission examinations to study for. The summer before graduation is a highly busy time for sixth graders who want to enter a national or private middle school and ninth graders who want to go on to high school as they get ready for the tests, which are often taken in February. Many of them endure the intense weather to attend summer study programs and take practice tests to see how well they can do academically.