Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Good morning!

  • Hello world, this is what a Japanese daycare is like.

  • Azalee Nursery School, or hoikuen, cares for kids from ages zero to six.

  • Arrivals

  • Before you even enter childcare centers, you'll notice a difference right away.

  • The most popular method of transportation is probably bike.

  • In Tokyo, land is expensive, and the population is dense,

  • so even if parents wanted to,

  • it'd be a gong show if the majority used vehicles

  • to drop off and pick up their kids.

  • Some schools do provide their own buses though.

  • Upon entering school, parents sign in.

  • This facility has an electronic sign in system,

  • but this is not necessarily the norm for all of them.

  • A must, as in many places in Japan, is to take off your outdoor shoes

  • and then wear indoor ones.

  • It's such a fact of life that you can see the speed and ease

  • in which some can make the transition.

  • Every kid comes with a childcare diary, called an ikkuji nikki.

  • In here messages between teachers and parents can be sent,

  • as well as daily records for how the child's day went.

  • For the earlier arrivals, children are all ushered into the same room,

  • no matter the age.

  • As the morning progresses and more arrive,

  • the kids start separating into their respective classes.

  • The reverse process happens at the end of the day,

  • as more and more kids go home.

  • While young kids may have their parents put away their belongings in a cubbyhole,

  • older kids will do this on their own.

  • As the kids get older, they naturally get more responsibility.

  • Every time kids move from one room to another,

  • they thank the people they were with

  • and in response are told "You're Welcome."

  • Ok, attention. Let's do the greeting.

  • Thank you very much.

  • You're welcome!

  • Kids, being kids, jump around quite a bit.

  • I want to get there fast.

  • Okay, sometimes adults like to jump around as well.

  • But at certain times of the day, they are taught to prepare for the task at hand.

  • If the whole group isn't ready, nothing happens.

  • Ok, let's go.

  • Once it's been established that everyone is set to go,

  • the kids can once again be free to bounce around as they go about their day.

  • At the start of the day, while kids are still arriving, there's free play activities.

  • There's lots of toys and games to play with.

  • There are also books and art supplies that can be used.

  • This is a time where kids can do whatever they like.

  • 3, 2, 1, go.

  • Craft time

  • It's now craft time.

  • On different days there will be different crafts,

  • but today these kids will be working with clay,

  • which in nendo in Japanese.

  • Every kid owns their own set, complete with tools and moulds.

  • Some of what they produce is quite impressive, much better than I could do!

  • Cute. Your cat is cute.

  • In another class, these children are working with paper and glue

  • to make what I can only assume are telescopes.

  • Facilities

  • This school is a bit unique, with all its colours and design.

  • Most schools will look more like this on the outside.

  • However, what is the norm is to have mini-bathroom facilities like this,

  • perfectly sized for the children.

  • As with entering the school, going into the bathroom also requires different footwear.

  • This girl was kind enough to show me how it's done.

  • This is what a traditional Japanese wash station looks like,

  • and if you go to any elementary school in Japan,

  • you'll find less colourful sinks just like this.

  • This school also has a rock climbing wall and big gym area to play in.

  • I don't think this is standard at all.

  • Most schools have climbing equipment outdoors.

  • And speaking of equipment, students will often visit local parks.

  • Here's kind of what the parks look like.

  • And here's what a typical group of students will look like

  • when travelling outside their school.

  • Coloured hats make it easy to identify the kids.

  • Music Mah, mah, mushrooms. Mah, mah, mushrooms.

  • They won't, won't, won't, won't, walk like this.

  • Mah, mah, mushrooms. Mah, mah, mushrooms.

  • They won't, won't put their arms out.

  • Music is an important component in child care.

  • Where's your spot on the pink line? Where's your spot on the red line?

  • All teachers know how to play, and songs are used not only for preparing kids

  • for the day and new activities,

  • but also as a part of dancing, games, and music education.

  • Good morning teacher, good morning everyone.

  • Flowers are also smiling at us.

  • Good morning, good morning.

  • Morning greetings. Good morning teacher.

  • Good morning everyone.

  • Children are also taught to play musical instruments themselves.

  • The standard equipment that all kids learn is the melodica, also know as pianaca.

  • Each kid owns and takes care of their own instrument.

  • The school also owns a selection of instruments that the kids get a chance to play.

  • The kids will practice and then show off their skills at a pageant

  • to be held for their families.

  • Kyuushoku, school lunch

  • Facilities of this size, whether they're private or public,

  • will have a nutritionist design the meals and prepare the food.

  • All the food is made fresh and in-house.

  • As the kids are busy playing and learning, the cooks prepare the food throughout the morning.

  • When the food is ready, trolleys are packed and sent off to classrooms.

  • For the younger children, teachers will act as servers,

  • dishing out the food and carrying it to them.

  • As the kids get older, they will take on more responsibility for getting their food.

  • And when they get to elementary school,

  • kids will be the ones responsible for dishing out the food as well,

  • but at this age, the teachers will still do that for them.

  • There's a sort of ritual around eating food.

  • They'll do some singing or have a little speech.

  • Everyone, let's eat together.

  • Please eat. Helpers please eat.

  • School lunch, school lunch, I'm so happy.

  • My hands are also clean.

  • Let's greet altogether.

  • School lunch, school lunch, I'm so happy.

  • We will eat everything and chew properly.

  • Let's greet altogether.

  • Put your hands together. Let's eat together.

  • Please eat. Helpers please eat.

  • The older kids have to wait until everyone has food before they can eat.

  • Everyone eats the same food, even the teachers.

  • Hey, you're looking.

  • There are exceptions, of course.

  • For those with allergies or special diets, they have custom trays made up for them.

  • When kids make a mess, they have to clean it up by themselves.

  • Although, they can get a helpful hand from the teacher.

  • Today's dessert was an apple slice, and there were a couple left over.

  • So the kids lined up to play a game of Jan-Ken-Poi, to get the remaining slices.

  • Wow, this teacher's game is strong!

  • All the apples are gone.

  • Thank you for the food.

  • Once the food is finished, the older kids will clear their tables

  • and put away their dishes in an orderly manner.

  • Nap time

  • These are what the sleeping cots look like in this school.

  • Kids are responsible for bringing home and cleaning their own sheets

  • at the end of the week.

  • The same goes for other supplies like their handkerchiefs and shoes.

  • Going home

  • While I didn't capture what it's like when the children go back home,

  • it's quite the same as arriving, but in reverse.

  • Sounds quite obvious now that I say it.

  • The school doesn't have janitors, so the teachers will be responsible

  • for cleaning the bathrooms, floors, windows, and well,

  • everything that the kids don't put away or clean themselves.

  • Special thanks to the Azalee Nursery school, the parents, and the children

  • for letting me film.

  • I had so much fun with the kids.

  • If you'd like to see more videos like this,

  • I won't say no if you want to help fund them on Patreon.

  • I've set up some perks for those that can donate.

  • Thanks for watching, see you next time, bye!

  • What are childcare centres like where you're from?

  • Ok, faster. Hands on your head!

  • Bum! Shoulders!

  • Bum! Bum!

  • Stand!

  • Sit! Stand!

  • Sit! Bum!

Good morning!

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it