3 for 3: Kai's 3rd month & my 3rd Graduation Ceremony in Japan

    To say that this week has been emotional would be an understatement. Today not only marks the third month since little Kai saw the light of day for the first time, but it also gave me the chance to see the students I first met when I arrived to this school almost three years ago graduate. Ever since I came to meet them while in their first grade, I made a promise to myself that I would stay at this school long enough to be part of their entire junior high school experience. Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that it is in large part thanks to them why I was able to stay long enough to meet my wife and eventually form my very own family. For this I will forever be thankful to this graduating class.

    I should note that in Japan, the schooling system is a tad different from what we are used to in North America and many other parts of the world. Although education up to junior high school is compulsory, high school is not. What this means is that junior high school can be the very last opportunity for kids in their teen years to experience what going to school is like here. Indeed, the majority of these graduates go on to pursue their studies at the high school level, granted they pass the entrance examination for their respective school of choice; however, the small percentage of those who don’t, end up joining the full-time workforce in their middle teens. Therefore, it’s not surprising why the emphasis on junior high schools’ graduation ceremonies in Japan is particularly significant. It marks a right-of-passage for these students, branding them as the newest members of the pre-adulthood category. 

    For what is worth, I have to admit that it really pains me to see them go. After two and a half years of seeing them five days a week and on random encounters throughout Tsuruga on weekends and holidays, each of the 227 faces have become very familiar. Although this is the third graduating class I’ve seen leave Awano by now, it is certainly my most cherished one given that I not only form part of an important chapter of their lives, but most importantly, they too form part of mine. 


It's been a pleasure and I wish you nothing but the best class of 2012.