March is graduation season in Japan, a time for making tearful farewells to your classmates as you wait through a long-winded speech from the principal to finally receive your diploma. Compulsory education only goes through the end of junior high school in Japan — high school is optional, though 99% of students attend — which creates an interesting situation of everyone having two sets of friends: one group from elementary and junior high, who are all from the same area; and another group from high school, who tend to be closer in academic level to each other but may live in different cities. There are many interesting Japanese customs related to graduation, from groups of friends making a last visit to Tokyo Disneyland together to girls asking boys they like for their daini botan or the 2nd button from their school uniform, as a keepsake. The second button is closest to the heart, and every male student only has one to give, so if a girl is lucky enough to receive it she’ll have a precious memory of her school days. Today my daughter graduated from junior high school, with lots of tears and hugs and promises to be friends forever.
March is the season of graduation and farewell.
