Is bullying evident in schools in Japan?
Posted by: kirin on 
Dec 16th, 2010 | 
Filed under: What's going on in Japan?Continued from Apple’s question, after she watched the movie “Confessions”, in this post I’m sharing how bullying (it’s “ijime” in Japanese) in Japanese schools is evident. I have to say that bullying has been evident and sadly some victimed kids commit a suicide every year. It’s sad but the truth is that it’s often reported in the news in Japan that school kids commit a suicide because of bullying. It’s not only seen in the city area, it’s seen anywhere. The parents of the victim often accuse school teachers and board of education but most of the time they say they never knew there was a bullying.
Everytime I hear these news, I wonder if those parents had never noticed anything going wrong with their kid until the tragedy occurs. I totally understand they want to blame the teacher as supervisor and the students who actually bullied their kid, which is natural. At the same time though, couldn’t they have done anything before? Couldn’t they have paid enough attentioin to their kid, talked with him or her more frequently and noticed something from daily life? But it’s also true some bullied kids don’t want let their parents know that, because they think that would be a trouble to the parents. They would make every effort to conceal the bullying from their parents no matter how much the bullying anguishes them as to choose death in the end.
Not having a kid of my own, I may not understand the situations very well, but as Apple says most of kids today are an only child or distanced from cousines and similar age grouped kids from neighborhood. In addition to that, I think internet, cell phone or video games accelerate their loneliness even though these gadgets have helped make our life more convenient. Kids often play with video games even if they are with other kids. I have seen this very weird scenery several times that 4 or 5 kids gather and each of them plays his Nintendo DS or Sony PSP without having a word among those friends. Imagine how weird it is to see them all in silence, with each kid only cares about what’s happening inside his game.
They are still under 10 years old, which is the time they could learn and acquire sociality, how to interact properly with others, what is considered OK and what is not, and all the basic rules or common sense that we can learn from playing with other kids or animals. I’m really worried about these kids. They have a place to play and buddies to play with, but why video games after all? It’s not a surprise when these kids grow without understanding others’ feelings well and act weird enough to trigger bullying or to be the one who bullies someone.
Bullying in Japan has become more difficult to be found today. Unlike our life has become convenient with internet, kids use it for bullying. In Japan, not every kid has a computer but most of kids have a cell phone for a security reason and to have daily contact with their parents. (ie. to be picked up at a cram school in the evening) Japanese cell phones have many functions besides its basic functions of making calls and sending/receiving emails. Once it’s connected to internet, it’s possible many anonymous classmates, who we cannot specify, target one student and keep mental abuse by leaving some harsh comments on a forum of “ura-site” for instance, where other classmates and the victim may visit.
While I write this article, I found some websites that have threads from bullied school kids who are sending SOS comments. There are NPOs and many strategic actions and remedies have been taken but can you believe even a princess is bullied at her school in Japan?
Unfortunately it looks like the field of education in Japan is twisted. Nowadays not many people say that they want to be a school teacher any longer, because of bullying kids, bullied kids, monster parents, and many other problems from school. Parents work like a horse to earn enough money to make their kids enter private school from elementary school or jr. high school, because that is one of the ways to avoid contact with bad students. Kids have to study at a cram school since they are small to pass the entrance exam of the private school.
It’s a heavy topic to discuss, and I don’t intend to find a solution or settle the problem in this post, that’s impossible. But I just want to include such a true story post once in a while because this blog is not only something kawaii or interesting. It’s Tokyo Kawaii, etc. Sometimes ‘etcetera’ part can be very serious. But I just hope all those things from kawaii to real story mean something to our readers who are interested in Japan or Japanese culture.
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December 16th, 2010 at 11:35 am
I wish that JAPAN would do more about this. Japanese society seems to turn a blind eye to this and while it is sad, a lot of the Japanese people that I know don't really think of it as a 'big problem' or a 'tragedy' when they hear these stories on the news. I was shocked when I read about an 8 year old girl in Osaka who hung herself because of bullying. EIGHT YEARS OLD!? I don't even think I knew what suicide WAS when I was that age. When I mentioned something about this to my Japanese co-workers they just sighed and nodded like 'yeah, another one~' and didn't seem to really register the horror the same way I did.
I have been out of the USA for about 2 years now, but I recently went back to visit last month and while I was at the doctors office with my sister I flipped through some of the magazines and they were ALL about bullying in the USA. Recently there has become a more public movement against bulling since a lot of gay teenagers have been killing themselves. I really like that it has become such an open topic and that a lot of American celebrities and people of importance are starting campaigns against the bulling. I love how it's something that is being talked about at schools, among peers, and in families. I know that kids in the USA have been killing themselves because of bullying for awhile now, but not nearly at the same rate that Japanese kids have been. And now that it's become such a common thing in the USA, people are really speaking out about it. Bulling has been a problem for much longer in Japan and it seems that aside from a few movies, mangas and dramas about it… it's not really talked about.
I wish that people would just do more to talk about it and make people aware of it here and make movements to stop it.
Thank you for making this post. I think serious, heavy topics are just as important as positive and fun things.
December 16th, 2010 at 11:47 am
An interesting post and definitely an important topic to bring up. I agree with you though, although of course teachers and schools have a responsibility to ensure a safe educational environment for kids, I think more responsibility weighs on the parents. I realise even just saying that can cause some controversy (even though it seems self-evident to me), but it's also a numbers game. Teachers often have 30plus kids to deal with, parents (typically) only one to three. Social skills are what I think weigh most heavily here.
But like you, I don't have kids of my own and I was personally never bullied in school, so I'm probably not one to talk. ^^;
December 16th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Bullying in Japan seems to be a really hard topic. I was one watching a Japanese drama called "Life", it's about a girl being bullied at school and so on. Also I read a lot about this topic in the internet, see it in movies, read it in books and so on..They kind of created a new way of bullying as they use their mobile, internet, extreme cliques in school and so on. Here in Germany it's possible to talk about it with your friends, teacher or family. Of course there are people who don't want to talk about being bullied, but most of them talk sooner or later.
A few years ago I got bullied, too. Not as hard as some other people, but it was still a problem for me.
I really hope people learn to handle situations like that soon.
December 16th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
it is a rather interesting topic that you've posted!
To tell the truth, when I was a exchange student in Sendai, I've seen bullying that happened at the private school i went to. The private school i went to is a very famous high school, not only in sendai, but all over Japan. However, I am not going to name it.
I've seen students who are out-castes in class and other students talking behind their back.
I've heard rumor, made by other students, and spread it all over the school (the worst part is the rumors that they made up are false)
& for some reason, there are always groups of students who like to hang out with each other, and the following day, they become enemies…..i don't even understand why…..
& since the school i went too was FULL OF OJOUSAMA they keep comparing who has the latest fashion all the time. = so sick……most of those OJOUSAMA are brainless and they parents actually PAID the school to have their kids finish high school! my host sister is a prefect example……BUT , dont misunderstood me, there are a few who are willing to study and are smart……
i've tried to talked to those student who were bullied…..but NONE of them refuse to speak up…..
December 16th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Interesting to see how bullying is approached in Japan. Sad that it still happens, everywhere…
December 17th, 2010 at 1:46 am
Thank you Caroline, I'm glad to have your comment here.
I exactly feel the same way as you, Caroline. Every time I hear news like that, I wonder how 8-year-old kid could know how to make a suicide…it's just very shocking and sad. Since kids' making a suicide from bullying has become not unusual incident in Japan, not many people may be surprised any longer, but it's been a social problem for a long time and what's worse, it's getting more complicated with cyber bullying.
Thank you Caroline for understanding my thoughts. I feel so sorry for gay teenagers, because being a gay is something from natural, they are not wrong.
December 17th, 2010 at 1:56 am
That's right, Lisa.
I agree with you that 1 teacher cannot pay full attention to each kid when there are 30+ kids to be taken care of. Many working parents are just too busy to take care of their own kids, and some turn to be monster parents that annoy school teachers.
Whenever I walk my dog, I see many small kids and they are very cheerful and nice. I always wish, "Please keep up, and do not be a bullying or bullied kid in the future, do not make use of people or cheat people. Please just stay as you are…No one is meant to be mean from the beginning, every single kid is born as an angel, why and how they have to change at some point?"
December 17th, 2010 at 2:30 am
Hi Catrin,
When a bullied kid can share what's going on with his parents, it's better. Some parents try to move their house so their son or daughter can change school.
I'm sorry to hear that you got bullied a few years ago. Hmm…bullying seems to be a common social issue everywhere.
December 17th, 2010 at 2:37 am
Thank you yvonne for sharing your own experience.
Of course you don't have to disclose the name of the school, but I am learning from your comment that bullying is also happening at private schools…yet, I suppose it's less or less critical compared with public schools, which is why parents work hard to earn the money for private school and kids study hard to enter the school since they are still too young.
Yes, I hear that story too, that today's friend can be tomorrow's enemy at school. Most of the victims have experienced their friends till previous day suddenly start neglecting them from the next day. I don't understand this at all, either.
December 17th, 2010 at 2:38 am
Yeah it's sad, because bullying has been a heavy issue since I was a kid, and now things are getting worse than my time. -_-;
December 17th, 2010 at 5:56 am
i think you're on the right track with your "let's look at the parents bit". in japan, a child's whole education, academic and otherwise, is all dumped on the teacher's shoulders. waaaaay bore than in Canada (where i'm from), and so these "parents" often aren't raising their kids properly because they are thinking it is the teacher's job. but the teacher has 30+ kids to care for and obviously cannot catch every little thing that is going wrong. but these parents are the first to blame the teachers when something goes wrong. obviously, it's partly your own fault as a parent. parents in japan seem too lenient. they don't want to put extra pressure on their kids so they don't pry. i think it's crazy that so many parents accept "hikikomori"… back home, that would NEVER fly. in fact, when i was a child, i hated school for a while and used to pretend to be sick so i could stay home, and my mom would grab me by the sleeve and force me to go to school.
December 17th, 2010 at 5:56 am
that said, i also think ijime in japan is so bad because teachers wont do anything about it. they either a) don't know it's going on, b) know it's going on and ignore it, or c) are part of it. sometimes, teachers too can be the victim of ijime by the other kids. it's insane, really. it's a really hard issue.
December 17th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Yeah, it's a difficult issue; not just in Japan.
Actually from what I've seen – albeit at only one school and it's at elementary level, but the teachers really do actively work towards prevention of bullying and focus on teaching social skills quite effectively. The kids are mostly happy and get along well; of course fights break out, but usually things are resolved pretty quickly.
To be honest I was surprised because there are always some kids who try to get more attention (in a bad way) and I suspect that back home their classmates would be harsh in return. Here they either ignore the bad behaviour or quickly tell the problem student off – when that student has calmed down, they play/work nicely together again. It still suprises me to be honest! And it makes me feel a bit of hope. ^^
December 18th, 2010 at 5:59 am
Ouch. This is sad to hear. >_< I hope the parent's of the children who have committed suicide are consoled. I think bullying should be stopped seriously. I seriously don't like the fact that childish people think its cool to go and pick on someone for some reason. In my school, when someone says an insult to one of my friends (Which is odd), I stand up for that certain friend and I will be like "Dude leave her/him alone!" and they just stay quiet. and when they don't and they start talking more and more I will say "Well what do you care!" Sometimes some people will criticize someone for what they are wearing and I will be like "If you don't like what she is wearing buy clothes for her then". I think I am a person who defends people when they are in need of help. In my school, everyone knows I love Asian Cultures, especially Japan♥ In my World Geography class, when something was related to Japan I would say something,& since my world geography teacher lived in Okinawa,Japan for one year in 1995 I would talk to the teacher about Japan sometimes, and there was that super annoying kid that wouldn't leave me alone and say comments like "Omg Shut up with your Japan!" or something like "No one cares" But one time he got me really mad I was like "Well what makes you think I'm going to shut up, I won't listen to you or to anyone who tries to shut me up if I am not even insulting you." and he just stayed quiet. I think those bullied kids should have stand up for themselves but without insults. Just trying to outsmart that aggressor in a smart way just like I did.
Oh and Kirin! I uploaded pictures of my trip to a near by city where I live in the USA! and they are Christmas themed since I remember you asked me to show you pictures of Christmas stuff in my country! To view them go to my blog @ http://inspiredillusions.blogspot.com/
December 19th, 2010 at 4:16 am
Right, many parents accept 'hikikomori' and that turns to be 'NEET' (Not in Education, Employment or Training) who cannot work or study but just staying at home, doing nothing. That will encourage to stop independence.
December 19th, 2010 at 4:22 am
You understand our problem well, sometimes teachers kill themselves because of ijime. I think school teachers in Japan have too much work. Their job is not only teaching. They have to take care of club activities from early in the morning ( known as 'asa-ren', students run or practice baseball or any kind of sports from early in the morning and a teacher in charge of that club has to take care of it or the one in the evening.) I think it's too much of work, besides teaching job. They should hire a coach or an adult who takes care of club activities.
December 19th, 2010 at 4:33 am
I think you are so courageous as to defend the victim. Many people are too scared to do that because that will make themselves the next victim in Japan. But it's also true bullied kids are, at most of the cases, very quiet and do not offend at all. That's why it's said bullied kids are also bad because they created the cause.
Thank you for sharing the link to beautiful Christmas photos.
I really wanted to see how the Christmas looks like outside Japan.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends.
December 19th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Thanks! But I did not get what you meant about this though "That's why it's said bullied kids are also bad because they created the cause."?
& Welcome! ^-^ I'm glad you liked the pictures!
and Thank you very much! I wish you the same also! ^_^
December 20th, 2010 at 1:18 am
Oh, sorry. I meant…kids that are bullied have a reason. That's why people say it's not only bullying kids are bad, but also bullied kids are bad (because they created a reason to be bullied).
December 21st, 2010 at 6:28 am
Oh! But I don't see anything bad with bullied kids. I only see bad matters inside the bullies.
December 21st, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Yeah, I know. Bullied kids are usually just too kind. They are nothing wrong, but how can I say…people say their attitude induces bullying. But of course bullying itself is bad! (x_x)
December 21st, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Yup! Or they are just quiet! so they mean just cause their quiet it's a bad thing?
January 17th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Oh, this doesn't sound so strange for me, because, unfortunately, I heard about many bullying cases in my country too. I even faced some bullying situations by myself when I was a school student! But neither internet nor cell phones were used at all in such cases which I faced. They were just face-to-face bullying.
Actually, I believe in that the first step to be taken to stop bullying in any place in the world should be by the parents themselves, even if they are completely sure in that their children are not naughty, bullying and mean. You know why? For those reasons:
1- The parents, in the first place, are their children's ideal. Children ought to follow their advices so easily, especially when the children are very young in elementary schools.
2- Parents usually have the greatest skill in becoming their children's friends. In giving pieces of advice to their children in a friendly way even if their children are not bullying at all, the children will react positively towards their parents' words. Such friendly means of giving pieces of advice about not to be bullying, loving others and to compete with them in a positive way is by telling stories didactic to the children, or by narrating real situations to educate and teach the children about the negative effects of bullying.
As a result, the children then will feel the negative sides of being bullying, and gradually, they may stop it completely (if they are actually bullying) or they will not try to be bullying at all (if they are not).
January 17th, 2011 at 11:50 pm
Hi Salma, thank you for your comment.
Yes, I agree with you. Bullying kids also feel unhappy or have any kind of problem themselves. When their parents take care of them with love and keep paying attention to them, their heart will be filled with love and they can become so nice to others, just as their parents are nice to them. Bullying is not only a problem among kids, parents and society also creates the cause.
July 5th, 2011 at 2:07 am
I've seen ijime-style (is that the right way to put it? sorry, I'm not always the best at wording things, even if English is my first language) bullying at my school. If you have something to make fun of you for, they will. My friends and I were harassed by a girl and a boy during lunch who wouldn't leave us alone and would constantly bother us about our religions. Also, in one of my classes, boys would harass the teacher until he would throw things and yell. It was rather frightening, actually, as the teacher threw something over my head once and I sat right in front of his desk.
July 5th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Ijime is a Japanese word that means bullying.
I'm scared to read your cases. Sometimes when boys become violent, that can be really dangerous and scary…Whichever (physical or mental) way, bullying is so sad.
February 21st, 2012 at 3:09 am
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