Aspen DeMotts, right, greets Hino Hashimoto ahead of their entrance ceremony at Fussa City Number 4 Elementary School near Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 7, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
FUSSA, Japan – The arrival of spring and the blooming of cherry blossoms marked a milestone for Japanese students this month, as families across the country participated in “nyugakushiki,” or school entrance ceremonies, to celebrate the beginning of the school year.
The start of the Japanese school year each April is a deeply rooted cultural moment, especially for first-graders transitioning from “yochien,” or kindergarten, to “shougakkou,” or elementary school.
For American families stationed in Japan who enroll their children in local schools, it offers a firsthand experience of a uniquely Japanese rite of passage.
At Fussa City Number 4 Elementary School, near Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, American and Japanese families alike took part in the annual tradition.
Aspen DeMotts walks with her mother, Maricel, to attend the entrance ceremony at Fussa City Number 4 Elementary School near Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 7, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Aspen DeMotts and her mother, Maricel, arrive at Fussa City Number 4 Elementary School near Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 7, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Aspen DeMotts, left, holds hands with Hino Hashimoto ahead of their entrance ceremony at Fussa City Number 4 Elementary School near Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 7, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Aspen DeMotts, center, attends the entrance ceremony at at Fussa City Number 4 Elementary School near Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 7, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
A teacher leads students during the entrance ceremony at Fussa City Number 4 Elementary School near Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 7, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
New elementary school students stop by their old kindergarten to thank their former teacher and show off their backpacks in Fussa, Japan, April 7, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Randoseru are the traditional rounded leather backpacks used throughout elementary school in Japan. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
My wife, Maricel, and I walked with our 6-year-old daughter, Aspen, as she joined classmates on the short route to school, a journey she soon expects to make on her own — a common practice for young students in Japan.
Carrying “randoseru,” the traditional rounded leather backpacks used throughout elementary school, the children marked the beginning of their educational journey. The iconic backpack can cost between 30,000 and 100,000 yen, averaging 60,000 yen, or roughly $420.
“Hino-chan asked to look in my randoseru, so I showed her,” Aspen said, recalling her first interactions with classmates. “And then she showed me the inside of her randoseru, too!”
The randoseru, with origins tracing back to the Edo period and Dutch-influenced military design, is a staple of Japanese school culture. Students typically use the same backpack for all six years of elementary school.
Following the ceremony and introductions to her new teacher, Aspen and some of her classmates returned to their former kindergarten to thank their teachers and proudly show off their new school gear.
“I felt very nostalgic after visiting Aspen’s yochien for the last time,” said Maricel. “But I’m excited for the new beginning.”
