The "Japanese school" experience from the perspective of Newcomer students

ニューカマー セイト ノ カタリ ニ ミル ニホン ノ ガッコウ

タナダ, ヨウヘイ

Tanada, Yohei

オオサカ ダイガク ダイガクイン ニンゲン カガク ケンキュウカ キョウイクガクケイ

Department of Education, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University

This article is aimed at clarifying the Japanese school culture. by employing the“voices" of minority students on the periphery of Japanese schools. What is the experience of these students in these schools? How do they feel about it? This article clarifies the “Japanese school culture" from the experiences and outlooks of minority students. In this article. the minority students are Newcomer students. who are from foreign cultures. in the high schooL Most of them find the Japanese school culture to differ across the elementary and junior high school and high schoollevels; thus. they have various “perspectives" as to Japanese schools. As the conventional precedent studies have stated. most of these students undergo a language/ culture shock and experience what is known as“ijime" and isolation as part of the Japanese school culture. which is typified by communism and groupism. However. it is important for these students to adapt well in their classrooms and to be accepted despite being foreigners. Such group formation is a characteristic of the Japanese school culture. and the fact that this practice brings about positive effects for the children of foreigners cannot be overlooked. This article clarifies a unique aspect of the Japanese school culture by focusing on the “voices" of high school students from minority backgrounds.