Graduation -- Blooming into Adulthood

Graduation for a middleschooler in Japan is in many ways a coming of age ceremony. Known as the "time to discover oneself," middle school is the last three obligatory years of school for students. Although many will continue on to high school (assuming they pass the rigorous the entrance exams), some will instead directly enter the work force. In fact, during the graduation ceremony, the PTA representative presented the students with their own personal inkan (a seal, as binding as a signature in the US, needed for all business transactions in Japan). Thus, graduation is a formal bittersweet affair as the students say goodbye to their childhood and anticipate their adulthood. For my school, it was especially poignant since most of the students have been together since kindergarten and they now were saying goodbye to their life-long friends. Due to the formality of the ceremony, I didn't feel comfortable snapping pictures and the one video I thought I took, I actually didn't. Due to my inability to understand the majority of the pomp, circumstance, and speeches, I was provided with lots of time for observation. Below are some of my discoveries:

• 100%: number of students who will graduate in Japan (no student is ever held back and they will automatically graduate even if they don't attend)
• 63: the number of graduations in the history of my school
• 163: number of graduates from my school
• 157: number of graduates who were accepted into high school
• 13: number of fathers who attended the ceremony
• 25: the number of times each graduating student bowed during the course of the ceremony (During rehearsal, I learned that there is also a specific way to bow and stand up. We practiced and practiced and practiced....)
• 2: number of mothers who wore kimonos (considered to be the most formal of wear for females)
• 1: number of students who fainted during rehearsal (If you lock your legs, you will cut off your circulation. If you lose blood flow, you will fall. If you start going down, you hope you have a friend to catch you)
• 1: number tuxedos (Tails were a must for the principal)
• 5: number of male teachers who got teary-eyed
• 2: number of male teachers who sobbed (whoever said that Japanese people don't express their emotions has never attended a middle school graduation)
• 0: number of pieces of graduation cake served (But we did get red bean rice again!!)