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Motivations and Responsibilities in Japanese School Festivals

This study explores why Japanese students participate in school festivals and the expectations that upperclassmen and lowerclassmen have to ensure the success of these events. Through a survey of 40 Japanese university students, the study reveals that students are motivated to promote their school and develop a sense of responsibility through teamwork.

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Motivations and Responsibilities in Japanese School Festivals

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  1. Abstract Every year, high schools and universities throughout Japan host their annual school festival. During this event, students participating in student clubs spend a lot of their time after school to prepare for this event. Because the festival is run by the student body, the students are responsible for promoting their festival as well as taking part in setting up booths for various events such as selling food and live performances for guests to visit. This capstone has looked into why students want to take part in the school festival, and what are the expectations that the upperclassmen and lower classmen assume responsibility to make the festival a success. Through a survey with 40 Japanese university students, the study showed that the students wish to promote their school for incoming students and gained a sense of responsibility through teamwork.

  2. Significance of the Study • During my studies in Japan, I have taken part in various school events that do not exist in the United States and events at my university. • I have noticed that students have planned these events from start to finish, allowing everyone to have a meaningful experience during the festival. • I want to explore more about what motivates the Japanese students to take these events so big seriously.

  3. Research Questions 1. Why do the students want to take part in the school festival? 2. What are the expectations that the Upperclassmen and lower classmen assume responsibility to make the festival a success?

  4. Research Background (outline) • Definition of School Festival • What is School Festival • Importance of having School Festival • ExClubs/Circles • Importance of Upperclassmen and Lowerclassmen roles for the success

  5. Definition of School Festival • “A festival at school (Kindergarten through University) where students and people in the community select their own topic and present or display various works such as art, music, and plays.” Kojien, 1991 • Different terms to call a school festival: • Gakuen-sai “Comprehensive: elementary through University level Festival” • Daigaku-sai “University Festival” • Bunka-sai “Culture Festival”

  6. What is a School Festival • Events held once a year in Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, High Schools and Universities in Japan • Held generally during the fall semester (October-November) • Elementary school • Culture Festival. students, teachers and parents were involved. To build communication with the student body and to show their accomplishment to the community. • Jr. High school • Sports Festival and Culture Festival, students were mainly involved. Teachers helped with preparation • Sr. High School • Sports Festival and Culture Festival, students are in charge of organizing everything • University • A festival organized by students and many clubs take part in showcasing their work and fundraising

  7. The importance of having a School Festival • “To form desirable human relationships, feel an attachment to a group, nourish the public’s spirit, build better cooperation in school life, and raise a practical attitude for school events”

  8. Extra Curricular Activities • The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technologyin Japan outlines the teaching guideline • A part of “Enhancement of Activities for Experience” • “Reshuffling of subjects and improvement of contents in vocational education in order to develop knowledge, skills and abilities which are required for people to be an important part of the work force in industry; moral, ethics, consideration to the technical development, environment and energy” (Ministry of Education, 2007)

  9. Extra Curricula Activities • Required by Government • Club Activities • Through club activities, students help develop individual and group activities in order to develop responsibility and self motivating attitude • Club activity planning and managing • Enjoy activities • Present the outcomes of the activities • School events • Ceremonial activities • Cultural activities • Health and physical education activities • Filed work • Volunteer and Service activities

  10. Clubs in Universities • Number of School Clubs • J.F. Oberlin University – 43 clubs • Chuo University – 198 clubs • Nagoya University – 103 clubs • Okayama University – 95 clubs • Toyo University – 250 clubs

  11. Sample Clubs

  12. Upperclassmen and Lowerclassmen Support • When the upperclassmen show acceptance and support to the underclassmen, the underclassmen will seek advice from the upperclassmen. • When the upperclassmen show an attacking action or avoid the lowerclassmen, then the lowerclassmen will become disobedient and avoid the upperclassmen. • If the relationship between the upper and lowerclassmen is balanced out, the level of satisfaction in the relationship is high. .-(Arai, 2005)

  13. Research Method • Participants • 41 Japanese University Students (J.F. Oberlin University) • 21 Male • 20 Female • A follow-up interview 4 students • Research Instrument: • Facebook, Google Docs • Japanese Survey

  14. Participants’ information

  15. The Study • Research Question 1 • Why do the students want to take part in the school festival?

  16. Importance of School Festival Why do you think school festivals are important? • “It is fun to plan fun events with other colleagues and it is the perfect opportunity to do something that is not an everyday routine” male • “A good opportunity for people in circles and clubs to make friends” • “To advertise our school so we can gain more students in the new school year.

  17. Reasons to Go School Festival • “To meet friends” and “To see the schools atmosphere” are the top 2 reasons • “To deepen connections with other people” • “To attract new students to our school”

  18. Clubs to belong and their involvement • 63% of Japanese University students belong to a school club. • 59% of those students are positively involved in their club.

  19. What is your role in your school club?

  20. Summery of Findings for Research Question 1 • Nearly 90% of surveyed students believe the school festival is important • Participating students see the school festival as an opportunity to strengthen relationships in their groups as well as start new ones • Club members see the school festival as an opportunity to promote their school and invite students to join their clubs • More than half of the surveyed students belong to a club in their university. Majority of those students in clubs are positively involved in their club

  21. Research Question 2 • What are the expectations that the upper classmen and lower classmen assume responsibility to make the festival a success?

  22. Assumed Leadership Qualities of Group Leaders Top 3 wanted qualities for upperclassmen and leaders • Flexible • Assertive • Determined

  23. Who is responsible for solving the problems? • “If the problem is within the club, then the club members should fix it” • “If you were the one to start the problem, you have enough power to fix it” • “The club members should find a solution. Sure, our leader is there but we shouldn’t rely on him. It is important to raise awareness and cooperation”

  24. Who is responsible for solving the problems? (Continued)

  25. Challenges experienced Problem 1. “The number of participants in our group was low and we were low on ingredients” 2. “We had a fist fight occur in our group” 3. “Since we were doing a Fashion show and a Quiz show, we became very busy and lacked supplies” Solution 1. “By gathering everyone in the club together, we wee able to discuss and come up with a solution” 2. “We heard about the problem and told our seniors about it. We also told them the tasks the two were involved with so they could be separated to prevent any more problems” 3. “The freshmen rose to the challenge and covered the parts we could not cover. They also went and got any missing supplies”

  26. School Festival Custom Booths

  27. Degree of importance to success • “If the festival was not a success, our friends may be affected by the bad atmosphere.” • “Making the festival a success is a good goal, but seeing our guests have a great time so more worth it” • “If everyone in the club cooperates well enough, we can make great memories”

  28. What did you gain from school festival? Top 3 Characteristics • Teamwork • Sense of Responsibility • Friendship • “When everyone works hard together, strong teamwork and friendship is born”

  29. Summary of Finding Research Question 2 • When preparing for the festival, students want leaders who have Flexible, Assertive, Determined, and Level-Headed qualities • Highest number of the students believe that all club members should take responsibility to handle the problems • Club members learned the importance of Teamwork, responsibility and Friendship from participating in the school festival

  30. Conclusion • University Students hold the School Festival for strengthening the relationships within their clubs, invite other students to join their clubs, and promote their school for enrolling students • Students expect the leaders and upperclassmen to have assertive, determined, and level-headed qualities • Majority feel that club members, regardless of status, are held responsible for any issues that may occur . • When club members cooperate well and see other guests enjoying themselves, then the festival is considered a success

  31. Discussion • As expected, students feel that communication and cooperate are essential to running a successful booth • To my surprise, the majority feel that everybody is considered to be responsible during festival preparation rather than the upperclassmen • Learned the reasons behind making booths which is

  32. Limitation of the Study and future Study Limitation of the Study • Data resources is limited to only students from J. F Oberlin University Future Studies: • Finding unique booths that are exclusive to certain schools and reason behind it • Explore more in-depth School Staff and faculty’s point of view • Investigate what resources does it take to run successful school festival

  33. Bibliography • Anonymous. (2011). Japan's inspiring teamwork. The Post and Courier. Retrieved from http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20110402/ARCHIVES/304029957. • Anonymous. (2010). The Gakuensai: Annual Japanese School Festivals. Retrieved from http://blog.thejapanesetutor.com/the-gakuensai-annual-japanese-school-festivals-2010-10/ • Fiona. (2012). Radio Calisthenics: Keep Fit and Keeping In Line The Japanese Way. Retrieved from http://www.tofugu.com/2012/07/26/radio-calisthenics/ • Anonymous. (2011). Cultural Festivals of Japanese Schools. Retrieved from http://www.allinjapan.org/cultural-festival-of-japanese-schools/ • Genkiduck. ジョーダン。(2011) Working Hard: School Culture Festival. Retrieved from http://thejwsdojapan.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/working-hard-school-culture-festival/ • Anonymous. (2011). Radio Taiso: Daily Exercises. Retrieved from http://blog.thejapanesetutor.com/tag/japanese-schools/ • Matsumoto, David Ricky. (2002) The New Japan: Debunking Seven Cultural Stereotypes . Intercultural Press, Inc, 37-47 • http://sqeries.wordpress.com/tag/japanese-school-festival/ • http://www.crunchyroll.com/culture-japan/episode-4-cultural-festival-at-tokyo-metropolitan-high-school-574032

  34. Bibliography (2) • http://bunshoken.sakura.ne.jp/gakusai.html • http://sqeries.wordpress.com/tag/japanese-cultural-festival/ • http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/kaleidoscope/volume1/senpai.html • http://www.tofugu.com/guides/understanding-the-senpaikohai-system/ • http://jeanneabeck.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/school-festival/ • http://blog.thejapanesetutor.com/tag/japanese-customs/page/2/ • http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/142 • http://www.stb.tsukuba.ac.jp/~zdk/gian/jikkei2_bessi.pdf • http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/142 • http://www.mext.go.jp/english/elsec/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/28/1303755_001.pdf • http://awalkinjapan.wordpress.com/tag/sports-festival/# • http://keisukeblogofawesomeness.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-beginners-guide-to-bunkasai.html • http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/new-cs/youryou/syo/toku.htm

  35. Acknowledgments • My Family • Dr. Yoshiko Saito-Abbott • Dr. ShigekoSekine • Gus Leonard • WLC Classmates • J.F. Oberlin University Friends and Students

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