By the Numbers: A Day in the Life of a Japanese Elementary School Student

Rise and Shine

Japanese elementary school students are early risers. According to data from Gakken Educational Research Institute, grade schoolers get up on average at 6:38 am, which is only slightly later than the adult average of 6:32. What is more, a separate survey by NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute found that waking times have been getting earlier. Data for 2020 shows that 28.4% of elementary students rose at 6:00 am, an 18.9-point leap compared with 1995, while 61.1% were up by 6:30 (up 22.3 points) and 90.5% by 7:00 (up 8.5 points).

What is driving this trend in children getting up earlier and earlier? Some experts see a link with the increase in households where both parents work, with everyone making an early start. In 1995, the number of dual-income households was roughly the same as those with one parent staying home, typically mothers. By 2023, though, there were two and a half times more dual-earner households.

Bread for Breakfast?

The peak time for breakfast is 6:45 am, when 36.8% of elementary schoolchildren sit down to enjoy the first meal of the day. This is half an hour earlier than it was 25 years ago.

A study by the Nōrinchūkin Bank found that nearly 90% of elementary children eat breakfast every day. However, the traditional breakfast spread of rice, miso soup, and side dishes is being replaced by Western fare. A private survey conducted in the four years leading up to March 2019 and the four years leading up to March 2023 registered a drop in the consumption of rice, pickles, soup, and vegetables for the first meal of the day, and a rise in bread, yogurt, eggs, and some form of dessert. Another survey found that around one in three elementary schoolchildren ate bread for breakfast almost every day. Mornings are always busy, particularly so when both parents are also working, and one reason for the increased popularity of bread is that it is a quick and convenient meal option.

Bread for breakfast is becoming the norm. (© Pixta)

Time to Learn

Elementary school lessons typically begin at 8:45 am, according to research by Gakken and others, with most children arriving at school from 8:00 until 8:30. Morning meetings and other in-school activities start at 8:15 for 80% of children, 15 minutes earlier than they did 25 years ago.

Children head for school, carrying randoseru backpacks. (© Pixta)

Children in the lower elementary grades are most likely to get to school early, in line with their parents’ departure for work. Some schools open their doors and secure staff members to oversee early arrivals. The NHK survey found that 10% of children were doing some kind of study at 7:30, rising to 30% by 7:45.

Lessons are typically 45 minutes in length. Over the six years of elementary school, students spend the most amount of time in Japanese class, at 1,461 lessons, followed by math, physical education, science, and social studies (which includes geography and history). There are also classes for art, music, and ethics, as well as time set aside for children to develop skills by pursuing independent projects.

The number of elementary school lessons has been increasing. (© Pixta)

An international study conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) in 2003 found that fifth graders in India had the most lessons, followed by their peers in Italy, the United States, and Hong Kong. Japan had relatively few lessons by comparison, but authorities have increased classroom time in a bid to boost international competitivity.

Absenteeism is a major issue in Japanese schools. According to MEXT, in the 2023 school year, 130,370 elementary students did not attend school for extended periods. This marked the eleventh consecutive year of increase, and absenteeism now stands at more than five times it was a decade ago. Experts point to bullying issues, disruption to routines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and increased acceptance of study outside of school as driving the rise. Some long-term absentees attend private “free schools” or other institutions or receive support from local authorities.

Lunch and Cleaning Duties

Typically, there are four lessons in the morning before lunch, which generally begins at 12:15. Set lunches are provided at 99% of elementary schools. As of 2023, school lunches cost around ¥4,688 a month per student on average, or around ¥230 for each meal, although a growing number of municipalities have started providing lunches for free.

Children rotate lunch serving duties and eat in classrooms together with their teachers. Normally the whole school eats the same meal, and it is rare for children to bring their own lunches or for there to be cafeteria-style options. In cases of allergies, however, it is becoming more common to allow children to bring substitute food items from home.

Students take responsibility for distributing and serving the food. (© Pixta)

Popular lunch items include curry with rice, agepan (deep-fried bread rolls coated with kinako soybean flour and sugar), and frozen mandarins. Schools may also make lunch educational by serving local specialties as well as from sister cities in Japan and overseas.

Children clean their classroom. (© Pixta)

A 2022 survey found that children at more than 90% of elementary schools spend about 15 minutes cleaning after lunch. The number of schools carrying out such cleaning every day is on the decline, though, with some limiting it to just three or four days a week. Children at 85.7% of schools do cleaning four days a week or more.

This custom of getting children involved in cleaning has become a well-known aspect of Japanese culture and has inspired similar initiatives in Egypt, Singapore, and some British schools.

TV and Games

The peak time for leaving school is between 3:15 and 3:30. The number of children remaining at school falls below 20% at 4:00, which is 15 minutes earlier than in 1995. Some stay on until parents finish work and can look after them at home.

Children with their backpacks on desks, ready to go home. Calligraphy in the background reads 元気 (genki; happy and healthy) and 未来 (mirai; future). (© Pixta)

The Gakken survey found that the most popular after-school activity is watching television, with children indulging for an average of 81 minutes, followed by playing video games (56 minutes), using the internet (55 minutes), and attending cram school and other classes (51 minutes). Study, talking with friends, and playing outside each came to an average of 45 minutes. Meanwhile, reading (including manga) only added up to 31 minutes.

According to a 2018 OECD survey, 47.7% of Japanese children played solo video games every day or almost every day, which was almost twice the overall OECD average of 26.7%. By contrast, 29.6% indulged in multiplayer online games, or almost the same as the OECD average.

Gaming is one of the top after-school activities. (© Pixta)

No End to Learning

The most popular extracurricular activity among elementary students is swimming. In 2020, more than 20% of children were learning something outside school between 4:00 and 6:15 pm, including at home or at a cram school. In 1995, the peak learning times for more than 20% of children was between 5:00 and 6:15 pm, and then 8:00 and 8:30 pm. Children are now more likely to learn before their evening meals than after. However, the situation can be different in major cities, where competition to pass junior high school entrance examinations is fierce. It is not uncommon in Tokyo, for instance, to see elementary students returning home from cram school as late as 9:30 pm.

Children may do a lot of cram school study if they are looking to pass junior high school entrance examinations. (© Pixta)

Dinner time for elementary students is getting later. In 2020, more than 20% of children ate dinner between 7:00 and 7:45 pm, whereas in 1995, this peak period came between 6:30 and 7:30 pm.

A 2022 survey found that around 60% of elementary students ate dinner with their fathers. This was a more than 10 percentage-point increase on the previous survey in 2016. Remote work has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic, making it easier for families to eat together compared to previous years.

A family dinner. (© Pixta)

Time for Bed

The Gakken survey results show that the average bedtime for elementary students is 9:36 pm. For first graders alone, it is 9:17, while for sixth graders it is 9:59. The NHK survey found that half of children are in bed by 9:30 and three-quarters by 10:00. In 1995, 60% of elementary students were asleep by 10:00, but with earlier starts, children are going to bed earlier too.

The end of a busy day. (© Pixta)

Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare guidelines state that elementary school students should get from 9 to 12 hours of sleep a day. However, a survey found that sixth graders are falling short of this mark with only 7.9 hours of sleep on average. With their days packed with study and classes, many children may struggle to get enough rest.

(Originally published in Japanese on December 22, 2024. Edited by Matsumoto Sōichi of Nippon.com. Banner image: A sleepy elementary school student. © Pixta.)