A new chapter in life starts with the arrival of spring.
Many students in Japan graduate in March and start a new school year in April.
For students, spring indicates the time for change. Some students start a new school, while some start their career in a workplace.
But you might wonder, why does Japan's school year start in April instead of September?
In this article, we will explore the reason why Japan's school year starts in April.
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History of Japanese school system
During the middle of the Edo period, around the 1850s, the first educational institutions "Terakoya (temple school)" started to spread in Japan.
Before the rise of Terakoya and small private schools, there weren't many places where children could study. It is said that they only studied what they can when they have time.
Even after children could attend Terakoya to study, people had a hard time grasping the concept of the school year.
Life was very different back then. Today, it is normal that children attend school to learn, but during or prior to the Edo period, it was common for children to work and support the family.
Due to the lack of the national educational system, children didn't prioritize studying as much as we do today.
Reason why the school year starts in April
It was convenient for educational institutions to start a new school year in April under the Japanese government fiscal system.
In 1886, Japan's fiscal year was established from April to March. The school institutions, then, fixed their beginning of year to April, matching with the fiscal year.
The educational institutions needed the funds from the government to run the school. That's why it was important for schools to align the school year with the fiscal year.
Since then, many schools adopted the same school year system starting from April. During the 1900s, high schools and colleges also changed the beginning of the year to April, as is the case for most schools today.
Enjoy the new chapter in life with new Bento lunch boxes!
The new school year starts in April when the spring arrives in Japan.
Beautiful blossoming sakura flowers and sprouting of trees symbolize perfectly the new chapter in life and have become a spring tradition.
Why don't you start a new chapter with a brand new Bento box to have lunch in your new school or workplace?
You can spend an amazing day by taking your favorite lunch in a new Bento box. I hope you enjoy making your own lunch in your nice Bento box.
