are japanese high schools like in anime

by Anna Hudson 9 min read
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The vast majority of anime are at least partially set in Japanese high schools... but the depictions aren't always accurate. How do anime high schools compare to the real thing? There's no single answer to that question because each school makes its own rules.Jan 15, 2019

Full Answer

What is high school like in anime?

Japanese high schools in anime are full of good looking people. They all have perfect hair, no acne, and have perfect bodies. This is obviously not what real life high school is like. High school students in reality are awkward physically, still growing into their bodies and personalities.

What is the difference between real-life Japanese high-schools vs anime?

Here are four big differences between real-life Japanese high-schools vs. anime Japanese high-schools: 1. Japanese high school students DON'T live by themselves in real-life! For some reason, high-school anime depict many students who live by themselves.

Are there rules for school in Japan like anime?

Remember there are no rules that apply to all schools. There can be differences even in the same city or within the same region. But, some broad trends can apply to most school settings in Japan. Here are a few things you might experience at a Japanese school that doesn’t quite match what you see in Anime.

What is it like to live in Japan in high school?

Japanese students are very sexually active in high school! Because this isn't a christian based culture, many students have had multiple partners before even graduating from high school! A lot of high school girls also date older men and are very sexually active. High School Baseball has the atmosphere of the World Series!

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Are Japanese schools similar to anime?

Although anime presents Japanese school life well, they exaggerate most things, present several things that are prohibited and break school rules, in addition to exaggerating the excitement and joy of students. The reality is that the Japanese school is much stricter, but they are like any other school.

Is Japan actually like anime?

3:597:09Real Life Japan is NOTHING Like Anime - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMost people probably already knew that but what's a little less apparent is that even slice-of-lifeMoreMost people probably already knew that but what's a little less apparent is that even slice-of-life anime that are more grounded in reality. Might not be entirely plausible.

What are high schools in Japan like?

They spend an average of two hours per day watching television, half an hour listening to the radio, an hour reading casually, and less than half an hour in social relations with peers outside of school. Japanese adults tend to perceive high school students in many ways as large children instead of young adults.

Is Japanese high school hard?

Japanese students study very hard in high school, so they can pass the entrance exams to get into a reputable national or private university. Once they get into their dream college, things become more relaxed as they are almost guaranteed to graduate.

Do high schoolers live alone in Japan?

While it's not EXTREMELY common, it's definitely not unusual for Japanese high school students to live alone, away from their family.

Do Japanese adults watch anime?

There is something like this for all different demographics in Japan – and this gives anime a really broad and diverse audience. This, really, is the great achievement of specifically Japanese anime: even adults enjoy it.

Do Japanese schools let you wear makeup?

In some high schools in Japan, the dress code may be strict, with teachers checking students' uniforms meticulously, even nail and hair length! Also, don't wear makeup, nail polish, or piercings at school; keep those for when you let your hair down on the weekend.

What grade is a 15 year old in Japan?

Comparison between the Age and Grade Structures in Japan and other countriesAgeJapanU.S.A.11-12​ELMN 6Grade 612-13JHS 1Grade 713-14JHS 2Grade 814-15JHS 3Grade 912 more rows•Jan 25, 2022

Is dating allowed in Japanese schools?

Education In Japan. Dating is forbidden at all of the junior high schools, and most parents and teachers believe that few junior high school students date. Parents, teachers, and students alike agree that dating does not play a part in the lives of the vast majority of junior high students.

Do Japanese schools ban ponytails?

The ponytail ban is one of many rules known as buraku kōsoku or 'black rules'. These regulations have been commonplace in the Japanese education system since 1870, but were ramped up in the '70s and '80s in an effort to curb school violence and bullying.

Do high schoolers date in Japan?

High school dating isn't a big deal in many parts of the world — but in Japan, it means something quite different. The practice of “high school dating” matches young girls with men much older than them. And it means money changing hands. Sometimes this involves a walk around the block or a drink in a bar.

Is there prom in Japan?

there are parties, dances, and other things to celebrate "something" end of the year, seasonal... as Japan doesn't have proms and other school dances there are festivals and the likes that have dancing to them, just about every festival actually...

What is the student council in anime?

In anime no one is cooler or more highly revered in high school than the student council. They are are held at a higher prestige, respect, and hold actual authority over other students. While in reality this is just not true at all.

Is anime like real life?

There is one statement that stands to be true about many aspects of society, "Anime isn't like real life." This applies to many situations, as Japanese animation features an ultra glorified, extreme, or sometimes ridiculous version of real life. With the recent spike in popularity of slice-of-life series, many shows show an "ordinary" student in a "normal" Japanese high school. But the high school setting shown in these shows and movies are seen by some as what it is really like to live in Japan, but according to real life Japanese students, that is far from the truth.

Do high school students live alone?

1. That Some High School Students live alone. In anime you see high school characters who are either orphaned by their parents, or has a rough home life and lives by themselves in their own apartment. However this in extremely rare in real life. Just like in the United States, it is unlikely that a student in high school will have their own ...

Do students go up on the roof?

The roof provides a chance for a beautiful backdrop of serene clouds or epic rain. But according to real life students, students never actually go up on the roof .

What happens in high school anime?

Just about every high school anime has a scene or two that takes place on the rooftop. Sometimes, characters simply go up there to eat lunch, but other times they might go there to confess their love to a crush or have a dramatic battle. In real life, none of these scenes would ever happen.

Why are school clubs important in anime?

In anime, school clubs are so important that they've spawned their own subgenre - and that's equally true in real-world Japan. In fact, clubs can be so all-consuming that some people worry that they encroach on family time or prevent students from getting enough sleep or completing their school work.

What are the rules for transportation in anime?

There Are Strict Rules About Transportation. One thing that often doesn't come up in anime are the strict rules about transportation. Students are often banned from driving to school . Instead, they have to walk, bike, or take public transportation .

What is the student council in anime?

The student council is one of the most powerful forces in an anime high school. They can enforce and even create the school rules without answering to the school administration, and in some extreme cases, like in Kill La Kill, their jurisdiction even goes beyond the borders of the school itself - the student council in that show can even control what jobs' a students' parents have.

What is the strangest thing about high school?

One of the strangest aspects of high school life in anime is a large number of students who live by themselves. Unlike in America, this can happen without child protective services getting involved, but it's not nearly as common as anime makes it seem. In real life, on the rare occasion that it does occur, it's because a student got into a prestigious high school that's far from home and doesn't offer housing. In that case, parents with the means to do so may rent out an apartment for their child.

Can anime characters have green hair?

Anime characters often boast all kinds of unusual appearance markers, from excessive jewelry to multi-colored hair. While a real person clearly would not have naturally green hair, some schools do have students who have dyed their hair green. This is rarely allowed in Japanese schools.

Do culture festivals exist in anime?

Events like the culture festival do exist and are often just as important in real life as they are in anime - though they'll rarely be as risque as some anime festivals are. There are plenty more ways that anime depictions of school life don't exactly align with the real world, so let's learn about it. Photo: TMS Entertainment / Wikimedia Commons.

Why do anime have to be set in a school?

But on the other hand, it also makes it impossible to give your characters much privacy for solitary reflection, intimate conversations, or other such impactful story beats.

Is anime real life?

But as we’ve seen in the past, anime and reality can sometimes be very different things, and that’s true for anime and real-world high schools as well.

Do anime characters have their own apartment?

Whether because their parents died, remarried, or moved overseas for work, many anime protagonists have their own private residence, which helps to facilitate regular clandestine visits from flirtatious members of the opposite sex. But in reality, you’re about as unlikely to find a high school student with his or her own apartment in Japan as you are in the U.S. or any other developed Western country. “Unless it’s in a boarding school dormitory, I’ve never seen or heard of an actual high school student living on their own,” said one respondent.

1. Japanese high school students DON'T live by themselves in real-life!

For some reason, high-school anime depict many students who live by themselves. In real-life though, this never happens, whether it was in Japan or Canada where Simon and Martina are from, and it all stems from logistics - why would a student live by themselves in the first place?

2. The student council actually has very little power in real-life

Despite student councils being depicted as power-wielding entities in anime, real-life high-school student councils actually hold very little power.

3. Those classic roof top moments? Never, ever happens!

Some classic high-school anime moments always take place on roof-tops, for some reason, but don't expect those moments to ever happen in real-life because high-school roofs are always locked!

4. There really aren't that many good-looking people in real-life high-schools..

For some reason, nearly every high-school student is super good-looking in anime. But in real-life, the unfortunate truth is that students are far from the chiseled-Adonis' seen on TV. High-school is a time where students are still growing and losing their baby fat, so don't expect anyone to be a ripped athlete like you see on " Yuri on Ice ."

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