in Japan are annual open day events held by most schools, from

nursery schools A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school ...

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

at which their students display their artistic achievements. People who want to enter the school themselves or who are interested in the school may come to see what the schoolwork and atmosphere are like. Parents may also want to see what kind of work their children have been doing. The festivals are usually open to the public, especially at high schools and universities.

Definition

According to the

curriculum guideline is a standard issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT) that specifies materials taught at all of elementary, junior and senior high schools in Japan, either public or private. The authority of the minis ...

s of the

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community ...

, cultural festivals are part of special activities and are defined as "events which aim to use the results of everyday learning to heighten motivation". The cultural festivals are parts of regular lessons in

elementary schools A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

junior high schools A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

, and

high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, so the students are obligated to attend for graduation. In universities, the cultural festivals are placed as extracurricular activity, so attendance is not required. Traditionally, most schools hold festivals on or around

Culture Day is a public holiday in Japan held annually on November 3 for the purpose of promoting culture, the arts, and academic endeavor. Festivities typically include art exhibitions, parades, and award ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholars. ...

(November 3), a Japanese national holiday. Normally it is held on a Saturday or Sunday; sometimes even both.

Name

"Cultural festival" (''bunkasai'') and "university festival" (''daigaku-sai'') are common nouns in Japanese, so particular names of cultural festivals depend on each school. For example, the festival at the

University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus The University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus is one of five university campuses comprising the University of Tokyo. It is home to the College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences, ...

is named Komaba-sai.

Names

Variations

The school festivals of junior high schools and high schools may also sometimes be called , , or .

Function

Festivals are held to display the students' learning, but many people visit a festival as a recreational diversion. Alumni often take the opportunity to visit schools they once attended. Food is served, and often classrooms or gymnasiums are transformed into temporary restaurants or cafés. Dances, concerts and plays may be performed by individual volunteers or by various school clubs, such as the dance club, the literature club, the orchestra club, the band club, and the drama club. Cultural festivals are intended to be a fun event, but are also the only opportunity each year for students to see what life is like in other schools. They are also intended to enrich people's lives by increasing social interaction and fostering community ties.

Cultural depictions

Cultural festivals are frequently depicted in

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

and

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

. For example, the climax of '' A Silent Voice'' (2016) takes place at the ''bunkasai''.

References

External links

* {{Commons category inline, School festivals in Japan Education in Japan Festivals in Japan