[From March Issue 2013]
At the end of the calendar year and in March, new pocketbooks are displayed in the stationery sections of book stores and in stationery stores. There are two types of pocketbook: some begin from January and others begin from April. This is because there are two ways of thinking about the year: one is the “calendar year” which runs from January to December, and the other is the “fiscal year” which runs from April to March.
In Japan, many events in government offices, companies, and schools are timetabled according to the “fiscal year.” It appears that the reason why life in Japan is organized around the fiscal year is related to the fact that the school year begins in April, and ends in March the next year. This timetable effects society at large, so that things like personnel transfers in companies take place according to the new fiscal year. These changes occur across the country. Students also move to a new district in order to enter their educational institution of choice.
There are a variety of events related to ushering in the new fiscal year, but for any Japanese person, graduating after completing their studies is an important milestone. You might even say that graduation ceremonies are the most important event of the season for all educational facilities from nursery schools, to kindergartens, elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, vocational schools, universities, and graduate schools. Most of these ceremonies take place in February or March.
Many graduation ceremonies start with an opening address, and continue with everyone singing the national anthem, “Kimigayo.” The program also includes presentations of diplomas, a speech by the school principal, congratulatory speeches by illustrious guests such as the mayor, speeches by current students and graduating students and the presentation of graduation gifts. Students might sing “Hotaru no Hikari” or their school anthem before the closing address. Sometimes, the entire graduating class may recite “chikai no kotoba” (a graduation oath) or “kadode no kotoba” (parting words). These words are intended to show junior pupils, teacher and parents, their determination to succeed in the next stage of their lives.
Traditionally, “Hotaru no Hikari” and “Aogeba Toutoshi” are sung by a chorus. The melody of “Hotaru no Hikari” is the same as the Scottish folk song, “Auld Lang Syne.” In the latter half of the 19th century, Scottish teachers of technology sang the song when they were returning to their country, and thus the tune became known in Japan as a farewell song. The lyrics to “Aogeba Toutoshi” (Respecting Teachers) express gratitude to teachers for their care.
A recent standard song is “Tabidachi no Hi ni” (On the Day of Departure). This song was composed for a graduation ceremony by the principle and music teacher of a junior high school in Saitama Prefecture, but has become popular nationwide. Other schools use suitable J-pop songs that take the theme of “parting and friendship.” For many Japanese, graduation ceremonies are not just a formality, but are sad occasions signaling the fact that they’ll soon be leaving behind special friends and memories. This is why many attendees burst into tears. They cry even harder because they are overwhelmed by wonderful memories.
NAGATA Momoko, of Aichi Prefecture, who graduated high school last year, reflects on her own graduation ceremony, “In order to make the ceremony even better, we spend a lot of time practicing. During this time, we practice the songs the most. Before the actual ceremony, we practice our school anthem, ‘Hotaru no Hikari’ and ‘Aogeba Toutoshi’ over and over again. By practicing a lot, when it comes to finally singing the song at the ceremony, our sense that ‘this is the last time we’ll sing this’ is heightened and we can’t help but tear up.”
Graduation ceremonies are not only memorable for the graduating student, but also for the parent. But the way parents behave has changed dramatically compared to previous generations. ASHIDA Miri of Yamagata Prefecture, who is also the mother of two children says, “At the ceremony I am moved to tears by the parting words and expressions of thanks. But when I see fathers frantically recording their child during the ceremony on video, I think, ‘Isn’t it a waste not to see your grown child with your own eyes?’”
SAWAE Misa of Niigata Prefecture, who is also a mother of two, says, “It’s more common now for both parents to attend the ceremony. Only about two or three mothers wear kimono, with the rest in western clothes; a big difference from when I was a child. When the diplomas are presented, rather than turning their backs to us, children receive the diploma in a way that allows the parents to see their expression. In the old days this didn’t happen.”
While uniforms are worn by students at the majority of junior high and high schools, at university, students typically wear their own clothes, so for graduation ceremonies, most women dress in a hakama. Hakama were originally worn by teachers of women’s schools from the Meiji to Taisho eras (the second half of the 19th century to the early half of the 20th century), but gradually the practice spread to students. However, in modern times, it is considered to be a special outfit worn only at graduation.
Most wear rented hakama. This is because there are hardly any other occasions for which it can be worn. SAITO Yasuko of Saitama Prefecture, who is an expert kimono dresser, says, “Dressing one person takes around fifteen minutes. Because they are at an age in which fashion is important, many want to express their personality through color choice and accessories. No matter who they are, I get the sense that they’re full of hope for the bright future that awaits them after graduation.”
Graduation day is the perfect opportunity to confess your love for someone you’ve had a crush on for a long time. At mixed sex schools, there’s a long tradition of boys giving away the second button down from their school jacket as a keepsake to girls. Because the second button is closest to the heart, this is probably signifies “giving one’s heart away.” For this reason girls descend on popular boys, vying to get their buttons.
One high school has a tradition called “hakusen nagashi” (floating white line) in which the white piping sewn onto a boy’s school cap is attached to the scarf of a girl’s sailor uniform and floated down the river in front of the school. This tradition has been going for over 70 years and takes place after the graduation ceremony at Gifu Prefectural Hida High School in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture. A TV drama was inspired by this tradition.
The word “graduation” in Japanese, is not only used in reference to education, but also to express the fact that many other kinds of things are “finished.” On the other hand, it is said the word “graduation” includes the nuance of the word “commencement” in USA. It seems that many Japanese feel that milestones in life are reached during events, such as graduation, that take place at the end of the fiscal year.
Most schools hold graduation ceremonies at the end of March, which is around the same time the cherry trees on Honshu Island begin to bud. These buds swell little by little, and, at the beginning of April the cherry trees planted around school grounds are in full bloom by the time entrance ceremonies are held and the new school term begins. Therefore, for many Japanese people, cherry blossoms are often symbolic of being promoted, going up a grade, entering a school, or entering the world as an adult member of society.
Gifu Prefectural Hida High School
Text: ITO Koichi
[2013年3月号掲載記事]
年末や3月には、書店や文具店、ステーショナリーコーナーなどに新しい手帳が並びます。手帳には1月から始まるものと、4月から始まるものと2種類があります。これは、1年の長さを1月から12月とする「暦年」、4月から翌年3月までとする「年度」という2つの考え方があるからです。
日本では、役所、会社、学校などの行事の多くが「年度」で行われます。日本人の生活が年度で動くのは、学校の1年が4月に始まり、翌年の3月に終わるということに関係しているようです。この流れは社会全体にも広まっているので、年度替わりには会社の人事異動に伴う転勤が全国的な規模で繰り広げられます。学生も進学する学校のある地域へ引越します。
年度替わりにはさまざまな行事がありますが、多くの日本人にとって誰もが経験するのは、学業を終える節目となる卒業式です。卒業式は保育園・幼稚園から小学校、中学校、高等学校、専門学校、大学、大学院まで、すべての教育施設にとって、この時期最大のイベントといえます。たいていは、2月から3月にかけて行われます。
多くの卒業式は、開式の言葉、国歌である「君が代」を歌う、卒業証書が渡される、学校長によるスピーチ、市長などの来賓による祝いのスピーチ、在校生から卒業生へのスピーチ、卒業生によるスピーチ、卒業祝品が渡される、「蛍の光」や校歌を歌う、閉式の言葉というプログラムで行われます。卒業生がそろって「誓いの言葉」や「門出の言葉」を唱える場合もあります。これらは、卒業して次の段階に進む決意を在校生や先生、両親らに述べるのが目的です。
合唱では「蛍の光」と「仰げば尊し」が伝統的に歌われてきました。「蛍の光」の原曲はスコットランド民謡の「オールド・ラング・サイン」です。19世紀後半、技術指導に来たスコットランド人が帰国するときに歌われたことから、別れの歌として広まりました。「仰げば尊し」はお世話になった先生に感謝する意味が込められています。
最近の定番は「旅立ちの日に」という歌です。これは埼玉県にある中学校の校長と音楽教師が自分たちの学校の卒業式のためにつくりましたが、全国に広がりました。他、「別れと友情」をテーマにした親しみやすいJポップなどを採用する学校もあります。多くの日本人にとって、卒業式は単なる儀式ではなく、大切な友達や思い出との別れを迫る悲しい行事です。ですから参列者の多くが泣きます。豊かで楽しい思い出がつまっているからこそ余計に泣けてくるのです。
昨年、高校を卒業した愛知県の永田桃子さんは「式をよりよいものにするため、練習には多くの時間を費やします。中でも一番力を入れるのは歌の練習です。本番までに校歌、『蛍の光』、『仰げば尊し』を何度も練習します。練習を積み重ねた分、本番では『これが最後』という気持ちが高まるので、涙が込み上げてきます」と自分の卒業の様子を振り返ります。
卒業式は本人ばかりでなく、親にとっても思い出深い儀式です。ただ、その参加の仕方は親の世代に比べてずいぶんと様変わりしてきました。二児の母である山形県の芦田美理さんは「式で交わされる別れや感謝の言葉には涙を誘われます。でもビデオ撮影に夢中の父親を見ると、成長した子どもの姿を肉眼で見られないのはもったいないのでは?と思います」と話します。
やはり二児の母である新潟県の沢江美紗さんは、「夫婦そろって出席するところが増えてきましたね。和服姿の母親は2~3人で、あとは洋服なのが、自分が子どものころと大きく違います。卒業証書授与のとき、親たちに背を向けるのではなく、ステージから会場を見る形で、親たちに顔がわかるようにする受け取り方も昔はなかったです」と話します。
制服が定められていることが多い中学、高等学校の卒業式に対し、私服での通学があたり前の大学では、ほとんどの女子学生が袴をはいて卒業式に出席します。袴は明治から大正の時代(19世紀後半~20世紀前半)にかけて女子学校の教員が着用していましたが、次第に学生もはくようになりました。しかし、現代では、卒業式のためだけの特別な服装と考えられてい
ます。
袴はほとんどがレンタルです。装う機会がほとんどないからです。着つけの専門家である埼玉県の齊藤靖子さんは「一人あたりの着つけ時間は15分くらい。おしゃれに敏感な年ごろなので、配色や装飾などで個性を強調したいと考える方が多いですね。どなたも卒業後の明るい未来に対する希望に満ちている感じがします」と話します。
卒業式はずっと思いを寄せていた人に自分の気持ちを告白する絶好の機会です。男女共学の学校の場合、自分の好きな男子学生の制服の第二ボタンを記念にもらうという風習が昔からあります。第二ボタンは心臓に近い位置なので「ハートをつかむ」意味があるという説が有力です。ですから、人気のある男子にはボタンを求める女子が押し寄せます。
男子学生の帽子の周りに縫い付けられた白線と女子学生のセーラー服のスカーフを外して1本に結び、学校前の川に流す「白線流し」という行事を行っている高等学校もあります。岐阜県高山市にある県立斐太高等学校が卒業式の日に行うもので、70年以上の歴史があります。この行事はテレビドラマになったこともあります。
日本の「卒業」は学業ばかりでなく、さまざまな物事の「終わり」を表すことにも用いられます。一方、アメリカの高等学校や大学では「graduation」(卒業)という言葉には、グレードアップや始まりを表す「commencement」という意味合いが含まれているといわれます。卒業式をはじめとする年度替わりの行事で人生の節目を感じる日本人は多いようです。
多くの学校が卒業式を行う3月下旬は本州の桜がようやくつぼみをつけ始めるころです。それが少しずつふくらみ、入学式や新学期を迎える4月上旬には校庭の周りに植えられた桜の花が満開になります。ですから、多くの日本人にとって桜は進級や進学、社会人への旅立ちなどの節目を彩る花として記憶されることが多いのです。
文:伊藤公一
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