A Japanese company is offering foreign tourists the chance to live a day as a Japanese high school student. For 30,000 yen (approximately Rs 16,792), visitors can participate in a “one-day student” programme that brings Japan’s famed school culture to life—complete with sailor uniforms, calligraphy classes, and even mischievous “classmates.”
Launched by Undokaiya in November last year, the programme, dubbed Your High School, is conducted in English and operates out of a repurposed secondary school in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan.
“The idea is to let overseas visitors experience the charm of Japanese school life while promoting tourism in local areas,” the company stated as reported by South China Morning Post.
A Day in Japanese School Life
From the moment visitors step onto the campus, they are immersed in the quintessential Japanese school experience. They choose between donning the iconic sailor uniform or a classic suit for the opening ceremony before heading to classrooms where they engage in activities like Japanese calligraphy.
The teachers themselves are a unique part of the experience. Homeroom teacher Hideo Onishima, once a rebellious youth, turned to teaching after meeting a life-changing mentor. Meanwhile, another teacher, Rukia Kikuchi, spices up lessons with motivational quotes from Japanese anime.
Disaster drills, a staple in Japan’s education system, are also part of the curriculum, teaching participants how to quickly duck under desks in case of emergencies. Between classes, students have the opportunity to embrace Japanese traditions by wearing kimonos, wielding a katana, or trying traditional dance.
In the afternoon, participants join history and physical education classes, dressing in striped sports uniforms for games like tug-of-war. However, the chaos doesn’t stop there—actors portraying rebellious students, or Yanki, disrupt PE sessions, adding an element of authenticity to the school’s portrayal of Japan’s subcultures.
The day concludes with a quintessentially Japanese ritual: classroom clean-up. Participants sweep floors and tidy desks, a practice aimed at instilling responsibility and teamwork. Before they leave, each visitor receives a graduation certificate as a memento of their time as a “student.”
The initiative has sparked widespread interest on social media, particularly among fans of Japanese manga and anime, where school life is a recurring theme. Iconic series like Slam Dunk and The Prince of Tennis have long celebrated the camaraderie, growth, and drama of high school life in Japan, amplifying global curiosity about this cultural phenomenon.
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