Families
Are you searching for an extraordinary summer adventure for your little explorers? Tokyo Coding Club has introduced the newest destination in its Code Quest summer tech camp series: Iwate, Japan. This latest addition promises a blend of innovation, creativity and the beauty of nature, setting the stage for a summer in Japan your child will never forget. New to the Code Quest Lineup: Iwate CampSet in the serene and majestic landscapes of Appi-Kogen, the Iwate Camp invites young adventurers ages six to 12 to immerse themselves in a world where technology meets the great outdoors. Scheduled for t...
Savvy Tokyo
Wondering what to expect at your child’s nyuugakushiki? Read on for a primer on school entrance ceremonies in Japan! While much of the world starts school in September, Japan’s academic year begins with the sakura (cherry blossoms) in early to mid-April. And, accordingly, the special school entrance ceremony, called nyuugakushiki in Japanese, is held in early April in Japan, a few weeks after March graduation ceremonies are held. Just as graduations have music, speeches and formal attire, school entrance ceremonies in Japan too come with a typical format and set of expectations for all involve...
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Japan’s traditional square backpacks will be your first grader’s perhaps most prized possession. Read on for a guide that tells you what to look for—and look out for—when making this important purchase! Randoseru, from the German and Dutch words meaning backpack, has been a prominent feature of Japanese elementary school life since the post-war period. Its history, however, began in the late Edo period when randoseru-like leather bags began being used by the modernizing Japanese military. The first student to use a randoseru was Japan’s crown prince who in 1887 was given a randoseru upon enter...
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How many hours a week does your child spend playing video games? We’re guessing it’s probably more than you’d like! Tokyo Coding Club believes that education has the power to connect with children’s interests. That’s why they’re dedicated to providing fun and engaging classes that help students grow and develop valuable skills. Their expert instructors, who are industry professionals, teach weekly classes for beginner and advanced students, aged five to 18. The school offers lessons in a variety of formats including personalized private lessons and group classes. Some of their most popular cla...
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Although the new Japanese school year doesn’t begin until April, there’s a lot to get ready before the entrance ceremony. If you are the parent of a soon-to-be first-year elementary student, in November you would have taken your child to the local Japanese elementary school for a health check. Probably on this day you also had a short interview with the principal or vice principal and were able to talk about any concerns you may have had. Unless you ask for another meeting, this was probably your only scheduled opportunity for a one-on-one discussion with a teacher before your child enters the...
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Wanting a head start on your toddler or preschooler’s Japanese skills? Start strong by giving them a solid base in hiragana. The strategies below will help make learning fun and fresh by switching between products and mediums to keep your tot entertained. Teaching your little one the basics of language is a weighty task, even in your mother tongue. And, when you are hoping to give them proficiency in a language other than your own, it can feel especially intimidating. Research is clear that young children learn best through play and direct interaction with parents (see our articles on Bringing...
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Looking for fun ways to introduce (or re-introduce!) this February holiday to your little ones? Our ideas below offer suggestions based on tradition, but with contemporary kids in mind, to get them engaged in this fascinating piece of Japanese culture! The Japanese festival of Setsubun, which falls this year on February 3, is a favorite of children across the country. Marking the start of spring and the new year on the Lunar Calendar, this holiday began long ago in the Muromachi period (1337-1573). It is traditionally celebrated by customs, like bean throwing and hanging sardines and holly out...
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Sometimes the biggest challenges we foresee for our children are the ones we’ve faced ourselves. “You’ll have such cute babies!” My husband and I heard this from the moment we started dating. It was usually the first thing out of someone’s mouth as soon as they realized that my partner was Japanese. I couldn’t help wondering if people would be so excited about my future offspring if my partner were Black like me. As it turns out, we did have really cute babies—but that’s not the point. Before I was even thinking about kids, I learned that there were already expectations for them based on their...
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Pregnancy is an exciting time, but one that brings its own unique challenges under Covid. Although many hospitals and clinics don’t allow birth partners in Japan, we’ve rounded up a list of those that will! When my partner and I first considered getting pregnant again in Japan, I knew that finding a clinic that would meet my requirements would be tricky. After a challenging experience in Canada, I really wanted to create a peaceful environment for my second experience of giving birth. One of my top requests was that I have my partner present at all times during the labor—as well as with me aft...
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Expectations and experiences when raising bilingual kids. In a recent Ask Hilary column, the issue of speech delays in young children was addressed and generated a great deal of discussion. Namely being that families with bilingual households often noticed their children struggled with reaching language development milestones. The basics of speech development and delaysChildren can start speaking at any time and in various ways. Baby talk or babbling, and repeating words ad nauseam, are two common ways for an infant or child to start communicating. There are of course certain milestones that p...
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