·  Compulsory education in Japan is for 9 years, so high school education is not    mandatory.

·  Children start school at age 6.

·  The new school year in Japan begins in April, and ends in March.

     First term:         April – late July

     Second term:     September – late December

     Third term:        January to late March

·  Elementary school is for 6 years, and middle school is for 3 years.  Most students go on to high school, which is also for 3 years.  In higher education, there are junior colleges (for 2 years) and 4-year universities.  Graduate schools vary in length depending on the program.  In primary and secondary education, there is uniformly a 6-3-3 system.  There is no variation in the years of education at each level, e.g. no 5-year elementary school, or 4-year high schools in Japan.

·  Grades in each school level begin with the 1^st grade.  In other words, after elementary school with grades 1-6, students enter 1^st grade of middle school, or 2^nd grade of high school, so you need to switch gears to understand some of these expressions.

Japan's Modern Educational System http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/html/hpbz198103/index.html

Art in Japanese Schools