Kindergarten
 

This is really no more than a post to show off my son - who recently started kindergarten...
But I`ll just pretend it`s to show a Japanese kindergarten uniform. :P

Omg!!! ^-^ I want to get my brother one of those now!

かわいい！

He looks like a scottish militiaman going off to war.

o/~ I will go, I will go, when the fighting is over, to the land of McCloud, that I left to be a soldier... o/~

From the back;



And side (sort of);

How long are you planning to keep him in normal Japanese schools? I've heard from other parents that it can be very difficult for mixed children as they get older due to bullying.

I'm somewhat curious, as I have to admit, I really don't plan on leaving Japan, and so it's not that unlikely that if I end up with a family, it'll probably be there. And I'm white as a sheet with green eyes and light brown hair...

We plan on keeping him in Japanese schools. I don`t see it as necessary to do otherwise.
While I have no doubt that there is some level of bullying based around appearances...... That isn`t exactly something limited to Japan or limited to being mixed.

I know of quite a few people who have their kids in international schools or who homeschool them... And not a single one of them does it for bullying reasons. They all say it`s either because they disagree with the way Japanese schools are run, the way Japanese people think, etc, and they want to keep their child out of that environment.... Or they plan on moving out of Japan and want to keep their child up to par with another country`s school system.
I`m quite happy with Japanese life, quite happy with the schooling (doubly so now that they`re removing the ridiculous yutori program) so it`s not an issue for us.

Either way though, racial bullying is going to be the last of our worries. My son has a brain injury, multiple health problems, a developmental disorder, and a projected adult height of less than 150cm.

So true. I've just been told that where the mixed child stands out it could be worse than in a heterogeneous culture.

Now this is interesting. I think I only had one other parent tell me that the curriculum was the reasoning behind their decisions. Of course, that household was a bit different from yours, as I was speaking to the father who did not speak Japanese. He speaks English to his children, their mother speaks Japanese. I think he wanted to place his children in a private institution so that they would be learning English on par with native speakers, while also learning Japanese on part with native Japanese speakers.


What's Yutori?

I'm sorry to hear that. What accommodations are the schools making?

I think it depends more upon the child and their parents. Mixed race is often looked upon as an advantage in Japan - there are just as many children who are "cool" and popular as those who are bullied. Standing out can go both ways. If you`re the type of kid who would probably be bullied anyway... Well, you`re just more obvious. If you`re the type of kid who would be the center of (positive)attention, then it just becomes that much easier as you naturally stand out.
Parents encouraging US-style behavior in their children also doesn`t help things - like a certain someone I know of (as in, have encounters with but don`t really know personally) who LOVES to blame everything wrong in their lives on Japan. If you tell your child they don`t need to do their homework, follow lesson plans, or clean up after school because they are "unique, and shouldn`t be part of that group think".... Chances are, other kids aren`t going to approve.

Thats simply a different situation. Not a path we`d take, as our home language is 100% Japanese, but something which I imagine is best for that family.

Yutori Education
The Wikipedia article seems to have been written and edited by someone who is in favor of it - Or who has a dislike of Japanese schooling.... But it gives a basic outline.
The Yutori I refer to is really the 1999 onward bit. Curriculum was DRASTICALLY altered, based on the "give children more time at home to study with their parents"... Textbooks were turned into something akin to picture books, and more time was dedicated to, well... doing nothing. Of course, high schools and universities didn`t change any of their courses or requirements, so kids trying to get into better schools were put at an incredible disadvantage. When you`re wasting the day in school flipping through picture books and using virtually none of it to actually study, that just means that all the other time not spent in school has to be used to study. Usually in cram schools, who have had a huge surge in popularity because of Yutori... Parents just don`t feel they have the skills to teach, so those who can afford it send the kids to study with a professional. Those who can`t afford it are out of luck.

After almost 10 years of this ridiculous plan, they found that *all* scholastic skills dropped, and are reverting the curriculum back to it`s prior state.
A random note - non-Japanese in Japan tend to think that yutori is ultra-super-wonderful, as it makes Japanese elementary schools more like those in the US. Which, well, I don`t exactly consider a good thing.

Kindergarten? None at this point. All the specialized programs, etc, start from elementary school.

Forgot to reply to this.

Here is the price list:

Jacket - 15,350 yen (16,850 for XL size)
Blouse - 3000 yen (3300 for XL size) - must buy at least 2
Shorts or skirt - 7000 yen (7700 for XL size) - must buy at least 2
Smock - 1800 yen (not pictured)
Hat - 3400 yen
Backpack - 4800 yen
Indoor shoes - 1900 yen
Gym uniform top - 3200 yen
Gym uniform bottom - 2800 yen
Gym uniform hat - 950 yen
Uniform undershirt, pack of 3 - 1600 yen

Plus all the other bits and pieces, I would say we spent around 250000 yen on preparations for kindergarten. Plus, of course, the time I spent making countless necessary items (for example, the water bottle container+strap in the picture.)

If you really want a set, I`d be happy to order it for you. :P

ETA: 150000 on stuff, 100000 on entrance fees, etc.

I think that is adorable, especially the hat. :]