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Lack of Communicative Ability of Japanese English Learners

Lack of Communicative Ability of Japanese English Learners

February 28, 2024

By Shiori Yamamoto

In Japan, all of people study English at least 9 years at junior high school and high school. However, a lot of people still don’t have confidence in their English skill. There are three main reasons why Japanese English learner cannot speak English fluently.
        First, Japanese people don’t have enough confidence to express their ideas. As a Japanese Proverb says, “Being silent is golden”, Japanese culture discourage people to show their thought in front of people. They tend to hope other people to read own thought. Also, Japanese are afraid of criticism from others. Most people are not used to be criticized because they don’t have enough chance to experience discussion or debate. As Japanese national character, people prefer harmony with others and dislike to stand out.
        Second, there is not enough chance to speak English. It is difficult to use English frequently in Japan unless people work with colleague or get married to the partner who is from anglophone country. In addition, almost things that people see, such as TV shows and advertisements apply Japanese. Even the class of English at school, a teacher mostly uses it to explain to children. In this way, people fall into the lack of opportunity to improve their English ability.
        Third, most people learn English for academic achievement. A lot of people study English to get a good score on school exam or TOEIC and so on. At school, a teacher tends to consider that accuracy of grammar is more important than pronunciation or speaking ability. Therefore, many students come to think that the goal of studying English for them is not to be able to speak English fluently but to get great score on exam. That is one of the reasons why English skill of a number of people decrease after they graduate from high school.
        Japanese people who study English have several problems in terms of the luck of confidence to express their thought, the luck of occasion to speak English and the way of learning it at school. To develop English ability of Japanese learner, both of individual person and government must improve the environment on social and educational field.

Positive Effect of Inbound Tourism in Japan

Positive Effect of Inbound Tourism in Japan

February 28, 2024

By Riho Bando

These days, you can find foreign tourists everywhere in Japan. They are enjoying Japanese sightseeing spots, their lunch and buying souvenirs. It makes Japanese people happy to see foreigners are in good mood. Furthermore, foreign visitors make good impacts to Japan. They affect Japanese economy, international relationships and regionalism.
        One important effect of inbound tourism in Japan is consumption by foreign tourists. Domestic consumption of Japan is decreasing because of declining birthrate and aging population. Consumption by foreign tourists supports Japanese economy. According to Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2023), foreign tourists spent over 1.3 trillion yen between July and September in 2023. 1.3 trillion is higher than the Japanese total vegetable exports to the U.S. in 2022 (Ministry of Finance, Japan, 2022).
        Next great effect of inbound tourism is international goodwill. Having experience of Japanese society and culture will improve foreigners’ image of Japan. Not only people who visited Japan, but also his/her friends and colleagues will have a good image to Japan after they hear great experiences of trip in Japan. According to a survey that is done by Dentsu between December 2022 and January 2023, the amount of population who like Japan and who had visited Japan is larger than the people who had never visited Japan. It shows that visiting Japan helps to make a good impression for Japan.
        Finally, inbound tourism gives great effect to rural areas in Japan. While for domestic tourists, Japanese rural scenery would not be interesting, for international tourists, they offer unordinary experiences. Foreigners perceive local sights as wonderful tourism resources. Yagasaki (2020) contend that after local residents receiving the evaluations, they feel more attached to their region and get civic pride. And cultivating attachment and civic pride of local residents will be a trigger to start tourism-based community development. This development leads to revitalization of the area. Tourist-friendly area will be visited by more tourists, therefore the region has chance to develop more and more. As a result, inbound tourism causes regional vitalization. In the book that is published by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Case examples of tourism development, the case of development in Nagano prefecture is shown. The snow monkey in there had gotten an attention by inbound tourists. Now, many foreign people love monkey in hot spring with snow and Nagano prefecture succeed to grow.
        To summarize, foreign tourists grow Japanese economy, enlarge better impression and revitalize rural areas. Japan must take these advantages of inbound tourism. However, as you know, you must not leave promotion of inbound tourism to the Japanese government. Think about what you can do for magnificent Japanese future.

References
Ministry of Finance, Japan. (2022). Trade statistics of Japan. Retrieved from https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.customs.go.jp%2Ftoukei%2Fshinbun%2Ftrade-st%2F2022%2F2022_117.pdf&data=05%7C02%7C%7C2992121ac60d47e186bc08dc1eedf0ba%7Cf11434e8abcf41f48154a9b2608dcd42%7C0%7C0%7C638419254508685372%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=b%2FwCaP4cxqn8ZG5h%2FTiPmGNEOJWAgPCabfsqhSs0iZE%3D&reserved=0
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. (2023). Survey of foreign visitors consumption in Japan. Retrieved from https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlit.go.jp%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C2992121ac60d47e186bc08dc1eedf0ba%7Cf11434e8abcf41f48154a9b2608dcd42%7C0%7C0%7C638419254508692843%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zL%2FfMO08nrvWFneWJ7rPX9OGtq%2FXvWgWU0C5Ys%2FwPQc%3D&reserved=0
kankocho/siryou/toukei/content/001634982.pdf
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. (2018). Targeting inbound visitors, rebuild and revitalization of hot spring resort using fund. Case examples of tourism development, 116-117. Retrieved from https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlit.go.jp%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C2992121ac60d47e186bc08dc1eedf0ba%7Cf11434e8abcf41f48154a9b2608dcd42%7C0%7C0%7C638419254508698375%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cydw71tJLeOfibVSIRVizA0DxJntIiJjuMOwz3Cqvfg%3D&reserved=0
common/001237080.pdf
Web dentsu-ho. (2023). Is the driving force for resuscitate of inbound Japanese soft power? Latest need for visiting Japan and direction of promotion. Retrieved from https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdentsu-ho.com%2Farticles%2F8759&data=05%7C02%7C%7C2992121ac60d47e186bc08dc1eedf0ba%7Cf11434e8abcf41f48154a9b2608dcd42%7C0%7C0%7C638419254508702273%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jG95hQ3V9bUvqdJRpeaHuQRfdEtwAqdDuv6tPWNj6D4%3D&reserved=0
Yagasaki, N. (2020). Significance, trends and issues of tourism by foreign tourists visiting Japan. International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences Review, 45(1), 6-17. doi: 10.24572/iatssreview.45.1_6

Positive Effect of Inbound Tourism in Japan

Positive Effect of Inbound Tourism in Japan

February 28, 2024

By Kyoko Abe

The COVID-19 pandemic is becoming finished, and the number of international tourists in Japan is expected to increase by 21 million people in 2023. There are many reasons why foreign tourists choose Japan as their trip place, which are weaker yen, delicious foods, and a clean and safe environment. More and more foreigners visit Japan, and the government of Japan expects to create economic effects from the Inbound industry. There are three inbound benefits, which are economic growth, the increase in demand for Japanese products, and the improvement of Japan’s image.
        Firstly, inbound tourism raises Japan’s economy. The consumption amount of foreigners visiting Japan has greatly increased. According to Japan’s National Tourism Bureau, 3.47 trillion yen was consumed in 2015, which means that the consumption amount occupies 0.6 percent of GDP and 1 percent of individual consumption, so the contribution should be appropriated in the trend of decreasing the consumers population. Also, the Inbound industry is the second highest industry with export value after the automobile, so the Inbound industry is one of the main export industries. Moreover, the inbound industry promotes other industries like hotels, transportation, production, and restaurants. For example, the construction of hotels is increased, because more foreigners are visiting Japan, which leads to creating profit for the construction industry, restaurants around hotels, and transportation will be more useful for visitors. The effective benefits of inbound tourism raising profit and promoting other industries lead to improvement Japan’s economy.
        Secondly, the demand for Japanese products is increased in foreign countries by inbound tourism. Foreign tourists enjoy purchasing Japanese products like electronics, snacks, and clothes. They tend to repurchase these products in their home country. According to Kanko Hakuho (2018), the consumption amount that tourists repurchase Japanese products after they come back is 630 billion yen. Also, Mizuho Information Research Institute (2016) revealed that more than 60 percent of Chinese, Thai, and Taiwanese who tripped to Japan bought the same Japanese products again in their country. The situation they buy the products again in their country leads to an increase in the amounts of Japan’s exportation. Also, the popularity of Japanese products has spread, and more Japanese restaurants are offered in foreign countries.
        Finally, the Japanese image of foreigners become better, and Japanese residents are proud of their region. Inbound tourism has effects not only Japan’s economy and products but also a positive image of Japan. According to Genron NPO (2018), the research on the Chinese impression of Japan showed that overall, 34.9% is a positive impression against 63.3% is a negative one. 34.9% is positive impression by Chinese who have never visited Japan. However, Chinese who have visited Japan have more positive impressions about 74.3%, which means Chinese impressions had been changed from negative to positive by visiting Japan. Also, the tendency is also same among Korean. Positive impression of Japan among Korean who have visited Japan is three times higher than Korean who have never visited. Inbound has the power to change public opinion towards Japan. Also, Taniguchi (2012) argued that the more foreign visitors interact with residents, the more they know the attractions of the region they visit, and the satisfaction and the place attachment become better. Also, residents rearise the charm of their local nature and resources, so they have a positive attitude to regional activation and spread the local charms more to foreign visitors. Throughout inbound tourism, both foreigners and Japanese residents realize the local charm and increase the place attachment.
        In this way, inbound tourism has three effects in Japan. Throughout inbound tourism, Japan’s economy is raised which increases the consumption of foreigners leading to a high GDP of Japan and promoting other industries. Moreover, the demand for Japanese products has increased in foreign countries. It expands Japan’s exportation and spreads the popularity of Japanese products. Also, public opinion towards Japan become better and the place attachment among both foreign tourists and residents is increased by inbound tourism. Inbound tourism has these effective aspects, so it is expected to support the Japanese economy and society in the future.

Positive Effects of Inbound Tourism on Japanese Industries

Positive Effects of Inbound Tourism on Japanese Industries

February 28, 2024

By Towa Oguni

Inbound tourism has excellent potential to be a major stimulus for the Japanese economy. After the Covid-19 begin to be calm down, many tourists all over the would start to go abroad and visit tourist spots again. They spent huge of money on sightseeing so economic is revitalized by them. Naoki Arai (2019) reported that the number of tourists coming Japan is 31 million in 2018, consuming 4,500 billion in 2018. Both scores were increased significantly than before. There are three positive effects inbound tourism on.
Some places are popular among international travelers. For example, Japanese discount store called Don Quixote’s business has been growing with inbound tourism. This store sells a lot of interesting items for customers, and it is very famous for foreign tourists. The Dotonbori shop in Osaka is the most attractive. Ichiro Matsumoto (2016) said that Dotonbori store in Osaka occupy 39.6% of the ratio of tax-free sales. In other words, many tourists from abroad shop at this store, contributing greatly to sales.
In addition to the effects on discount store, Japan’s luxury hotels start building new hotels. There are just 34 five-star hotels in Japan, whereas America has 801 five-star hotels. Hoshino Resort a well-known company that operates hotels in Japan has planned to open new four facilities by 2024. In addition, Imperial Hotel has planning built a new hotel in Kyoto by 2026.
The most positive effect of inbound spill over construction industry, accordingly, increasing employment opportunities. The Nikkei (2022) reported Shiseido, Japanese cosmetic farm, has completed new plan in Kurume, Fukuoka to ship their cosmetic products for Asian such as China. This factory will have the potential to produce 140 million units per year from 2026. The company have to hire more workers. Thus, more jobs will be created as a result of inbound tourism.
In conclusion, these are the three great effects of Japanese inbound tourism. The corporation such as Don Quixote is benefiting from the inbound. Moreover, the company can receive positive effects such as increased employment opportunities by establishing a system to accommodate inbound tourism. Japan’s economy will grow more than ever thanks to inbound.

References

Arai, (2019), Significance effects and issue of inbound tourism. Journal of Regional Promotion ,30,1-30.
Matsumoto, (2016). Increase of foreign visitors and upheaval of inbound tourism. The Economic Review of Japan University of Economics,46, 237-247.
Shiseido hukuokade shinkozyokadou zyuyoukaihuku mikomi seisankakuzyu［Shiseido to start operation of new plant in Fukuoka prefecture, expanding production in expectation of recovery in demand.］(2022,May 26). Nihon Keizai Shinbun.

Effects of Inbound Tourism in Japan

Effects of Inbound Tourism in Japan

February 28, 2024

By Yui Naoi

These days, when I go to Don Quixote I’m surrounded by many tourists from China, Korea and other countries. And foreign languages are spoken around in the shop. Also, when shopping at such places, tourists fill their baskets with goods and buy many of the same items. There are a lot of foreigners seen in Don Quixote, department store and Matsumoto Kiyoshi etc. As this trend shows there are three positive effects of inbound tourism on Japanese retail stores.
One of the most successful retail stores is Don Quixote. Don Quixote is a variety shop that sells foods to electronic appliances. Recently, Don Quixote’s sales figures have been going up steadily every year. According to their website, Don Quixote’s operating income increased 18.7% over the previous year. They caught the wave of inbound tourism by opening a duty-free shop for international customers. They accommodated the needs of foreign customers by offering foreign language services. In addition, their shop is open for 24 hours 7 days. Thanks to that Don Quixote is ranked fourth in the Japanese retail industry in term of sales. So, you can see how Japanese retail stores are growing due to international tourists.
Another successful retail shop is Matsumoto Kiyoshi, a drug store. Matsumoto Kiyoshi is a drugstore that is expanding nationwide, mainly in eastern Japan, and is used daily by many people as a tenant in stations and department stores these days. It is approximately 40% of total sales are cosmetics, which generate almost as much or more profit than drugs. The fact that cosmetics sell better than medicines, despite being in pharmacies, was surprising. The demand for Japanese cosmetics from these tourists has led Japanese cosmetics manufacturers to expand their factories and increase production efficiency. It is largely derived from there and contributes greatly to the Japanese economy, such as the construction industry that makes money to build factories.
Lastly, department stores also succeed in getting inbound customer. Also, this year, department stores are experiencing strong inbound consumption because of yen is weaking. And sales have increased greatly compared to the previous year. Due to the economic downturn, Japanese incomes did not rise and luxury items did not sell well. But sales of luxury items are increasing thanks to international tourists, especially Chinese tourists. In addition, department stores, like drugstores, have been increasing their sales of cosmetics. Expensive cosmetics specific to department stores, it called “Depakosu” are popular among Asian tourists. Corona virus has also settled down and started to take off their masks, and some say that Japanese cosmetic manufacturers are still of good quality and safe.
These retail stores have increased their sales in recent years thanks to foreign tourists. And continue to grow and wealth the Japanese economy. But the bombing shopping by foreign tourists may make it difficult for Japanese to obtain goods. However, it is true that the increase in tourists has improved Japan’s economy and stimulated a variety of jobs. We will continue to grow our various Japanese businesses without relying too much on tourists. I hope that more and more companies will expand their business overseas, and that their products will reach people who have not yet visited Japan.

References
“don・kihoteno” pashipashiHD, 23nenn 6gakki junrieki saikouni [“Don Quixote” Pashipashi-HD posts highest net income for the fiscal 2023 ended June] (2023, May 10). Nihon Keizai Shinbun.
Shiseidou, Osakano 2 koujouwo 26 nenni tougou seisan kourituka [ Shiseido to integrate two plants in Osaka in 26 years to improve production efficiency] (2023, October 31). Nihon Keizai Shinbun.
9 gatuno hyakkaten uriagedaka, 9.2%zou menzeiwa kako 3banmeno kousuijun [ Department store sales up 9.2% in September, duty free at third highest level on record] (2023, October 24). Nihon Keizai Shinbun.
5 gatuno hyakkaten uriagedaka , 6.3%zou iryouhin ya keshouhinga kouchou [ Department store sales up 6.3% in May, strong sales of clothing and cosmetics] (2023, June 23). Nihon Keizai Shinbun.

Welcome to Aquas, World of Sea

Welcome to Aquas, World of Sea

February 28, 2024

By Mai Tokugawa

Aquas is an aquarium located near big Iwami seaside park in Shimane. There are many fish and other see animals. For example, penguins, jellyfishes, and sea lions. The most popular fish among them is the white dolphins. People will come to see their amazing show. They’re very smart creatures and they give us a great show. Aquas not only includes display area of fish, but also has souvenir shops and restaurants where you can eat delicious fish, so you enjoy the aquarium even more.
There are many unusual fish from around the world. Watching the dolphins swim is soothing. White dolphins entertain us with bubble rings and ball game. In Aquas, you can see the sweet waddle and gestures of four kinds of penguins up close and look at penguins swimming overhead. In the Sea of Japan zone, you can see both Tsushima Current fish and cold-water fish. You can spend a lot of time there.
You’ll want to share your memories with your friends and family. There is a big store upstairs. There are various kinds of stuffed animals on sale. Fish-patterned cookies and sweets have been commercialized. Mugs and key rings can be used in everyday life. You will be able to enjoy browsing a variety goods and may find it difficult to choose what to buy.
The restaurants smell good. You can eat a variety of fish dishes at the Restaurant Iruka. The restaurant is convenient because it is near the aquarium, a park with large playground equipment, and a souvenir shop. Marine House restaurant attracts attention to the building standing right in front of the aquarium. At the restaurant “Don-don,” you can eat ramen and rice bowl dishes. You can fill your stomach at these restaurants.
Aquas will surely excite visitors. There are many kinds of fish swimming. The white dolphin, the most watched in Aquas, is waiting for you. You will have a great day watching strange fish and eating a delicious lunch. Please try and go there. It’s very exciting. You can enjoy it absolutely.

Language of Women in Japan, Korea, and US

Language of Women in Japan, Korea, and US

February 28, 2024

By Ayuka Tamaki

Do you think there are any characteristics of women’s way of speaking? Do you know these characteristics of women in your country? I think every country has something in common as a feature of women’s way of speaking. So, I decided to investigate the characteristics of women in conversation about women in Japan, the United States and Korea.
First, it is about Japan. Imanishi (2006) indicated that Japanese women try to avoid making decisions. “～かしらね” is words of agreement. This word is used to be considerate of those around there. Also, they like to use sweet adjectives and pretentious adverbs. “かわいい” and “すごーい” are often used among women. Imanishi (2006) said that Japanese women make ambiguous expressions. More likely to use king expressions than men.
Second, it is about the United States. Kim (2005) said that the United States’s women often use uncertain, ambiguous, and unsure words. For example, “I guess”, “I think”, “I wonder” are used. They use these phrases for self-defense. In addition, Kim (2005) indicated that the use of exclamations, adverbs, and adjectives unique to women is seen. For example, there are “oh dear”, “oh fudge”, “so much”, “adorable”, “charming” and “lovely”. Also, the use of euphemisms or derogatory expression is seen. “Close the door.” is a euphemisms or derogatory expression: “Won’t you close the door?” In this way, characteristics of the United States’s women way of speaking can be expressed.
Finally, it is about Korea. Kim (2005) indicated that there are many characteristics of women in Korea. For example, they use ambiguous expressions. Kim (2005) said that it has the effect of reducing the mental burden on the listener by making ambiguous expression. In other words, this can convey the nuance of leaving it to the other person’s judgment. This is an expression that doesn’t show yourself completely. What king of words are there? “글쎄” is Korean word. This mean is “well” and “hm”. Also, “ㄴ 것 같다” is “ it looks like~”. That’s why, Korean women use ambiguous expressions. In addition, Korean women use emphasize expression. Why do Korean women use such an emphasis expression? Kim (2005) said that they tend to emphasize their senses and to make their confidence stand out. Also, Kim (2005) indicated that it is known that women are more likely to agree.
I compared three countries; these countries have something common. This is to use euphemisms. Japan, the United States and Korean which country use this expression when they talk to people. Also, they use gentle expression. The reason why we use these methods is to be considerate of the other person, to leave the decision to the other person, and to avoid getting into a flight. I learned something while researching these three countries. This means that women were treated differently in society, which is expressed in words. Imanishi (2006) said that In Japanese, there is a traditional belief that men are in a higher position than women, so women sometimes use honorific language for men. In this way, it is thought that because each country has businesses like Japan, there are characteristics in the language used by women. Since the characteristics of the three countries were very similar, I thought the same could be said of other countries.

References
Imanishi, Y. (2006) Views on women reflected in women’s words” common to English and Japanese. Japan: Aichi Shukutoku University Graduate School of English Literature Society
Kim, S. (2005) Current status and problems of linguistic gender difference research in Korea. Japan: Department of International Plural Cultures, Graduate School of International Languages and Cultu

Gender Language

Gender Language

February 28, 2024

By Yui Takeda

In the world, a lot of people think that men and women speak differently. Also, features of gender differences in language is different between Japan and other country. Then, this essay compares three expert’s essays. First essay is written about comparing Japanese and English, second is about Japanese and Chinese, the last one is about Japanese and Korean.
Kumadaki (2006) compared proverbs in Japanese and English. She said that proverbs express historical views on men and women that have been passed down from ancient times, and we can get a glimpse of what kind of stereotypes a society holds regarding gender differences. Also, the number of proverbs which is written about women is more than one’s about men. For example, they are written about women’s appearance, attitude, and so on. Besides, there are many Japanese proverbs that “evaluate or criticize women negatively,” and that there are also many that “talk about appearance and makeup.” On the other hand, there are proverbs that relate to men’s attitudes and behavior, the division of roles, and say that men are superior. However, there are extremely few proverbs in English that relate to men, and like in Japanese, many of them are targeted at women. From the above results, she said that “views of men and women” have been constructed through words since ancient times, and these ideas implicitly reflect the division of roles and values between men and women, and these ideas become fixed ideas. There is still a tendency to view things from the perspective of men and women from the past, and this can be said to have created gender differences that continue without being recognized much to this day.
Then, next one is the compering Japanese and Korean. Kim the degree of gender differences varies depending on the language, with some languages having large gender differences and others having small gender differences. Japanese is a representative language with large gender differences, and there are expressions unique to women that differ from those used by men, such as final particles, personal pronouns, beautifying words, and interjections, and there is clearly a language variant called feminine language, and the same goes for masculine words. On the other hand, Korean is said to be a language with very small linguistic gender differences. If you listen to actual utterances, you can easily distinguish between men and women because the pitch and quality of their voice are different, but if you transcribe that into text, the differences between men and women almost disappear.
The last one is the comparing Japanese and Chinese. Kawasaki (2011) said that in modern Chinese, there are no gender differences between the words in Japanese, as they are clearly visible to everyone, such as personal pronouns and final particles. However, previous research has revealed that there are still differences between men and women and age in terms of phonology, vocabulary, expressions, and oral habits. A survey of habitual phrases shows that young women tend to mumble buzzwords, the use of low-level insults that can be taken as insults, the use of English, and the frequent use of words of words surprise and admiration.
In this way, there are differences between Japanese and other languages. Especially, Japanese have more gender differences than Korean and Chinese. According to The Agency for Cultural Affairs, many languages have differences in word usage based on gender. Even in Japanese, there are vocabulary and linguistic practices that are used characteristically by each gender, we should not insist on fixed gender differences in language. However, no matter which gender they belong to, each person should use language and topics that are acceptable as self-expression and that are appropriate to the person and the situation. It is desirable to make choices and engage in rich communication.

Differences between University and High School in Japan

Differences between University and High School in Japan

February 28, 2024

By Kota Yamane

There are many differences between university and high school in Japan. So, in this essay I will explain these differences. In addition, there are commonalities between high school and university, and I will explain those as well. Finally, I will explain how university has various risks that high school does not.

There are some commonalities between high school and university. Going to school, taking classes, and doing homework are common points between high school and college. And there are many club activities in both high school and university. There are about 20 club activities in each high school and university. So, we can make friends with common interests through club activities at university, just like in high school. Also, a common point between universities and high schools is we must take an entrance exam to enter the school. In this way, there are several common points between high school and university.

The difference between high school and university is the educational systems. The length of class time in high school is about sixty minutes, but in university it is ninety minutes. University class times are about thirty minutes longer than high school class times. Moreover, high school classes are determined by teachers. On the other hand, students choose the classes they want to take at university. Also, there is a difference in the length of summer vacation. Summer vacation is longer in university than in high school. High school is one month but university is two months. High school classes place emphasis on learning a wide range of academic subjects, while university classes place emphasis on learning specialized fields. Additionally, university students have two months of summer vacation. So, they can study abroad. Therefore, they have more opportunities for cross-cultural exchange than high school students.