The Physical School - Basics

The Physical School 

(Buildings, Rooms and Chairs)

"Damn thing looks like a prison." foreigner looking at a Japanese school 

For more posts similar to this one, see Being in a Japanese School - Physically

Before we head inside, let’s take a quick look at the physical appearance of the school. Chances are that it can be described by...........

                                   “The Ugly, Uglier and the Hey! This place ain’t so bad.”

Typical Front of a School Building - Notice the Giant Clock

Most public schools are old solid slabs of concrete that are pretty freakin’ ugly both inside and out. Private schools are, of course, completely different beasts altogether. The privates are usually exceptionally clean and well maintained. They are also fantastically boring, antiseptic and strict. 

The first public school I ever walked into reminded me of a prison -  Yamada Higashi JHS. There was no paint; there were cracked and broken windows everywhere; the walls had mold and algae stains all over. And this is the norm rather than the exception when it comes to most public schools in urban areas of Japan. However, not all schools date back to the 1940's and 50's. Some are actually kind of new, or new-ish and perhaps even somewhat recently refurbished. But let’s not get to crazy here, even though a school might be somewhat new, it’s still going to be…..well, an eyesore - usually.

Private High School

No matter what it looks like, it’s the personality that counts, right? This is definitely true of a Japanese school. Some of the best and kindest students in the world reside within these nasty walls (and many not so good and kind students as well, but that’s for later when I get to my posts on Japanese Students).

Notice the Giant Clock

So, if you’re finished taking in the breathtaking beauty of the exterior of the institution, let’s head inside…….

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