Japanese elementary school's uniform and teaching material tool

"Yellow cap and yellow umbrella" obligated for young children.

In general, students of kindergarten and elementary school do not wear the uniforms.

Most Japanese elementary schools require caps or hats, even those schools that otherwise have no uniform requirement.

They must wear a yellow cap or hat, and if it rains, they must hold a yellow umbrella when they are going to school.

And, they are quite colorful to help motorists spot the younger children.

In Japan, this cap is called "通学帽[tsuugaku-bou]".

The reason that they use the yellow cap and umbrella is for road safety.

Though on the other hand, there is no particular name in that yellow umbrella, it is called "Yellow umbrella" generally.

For a yellow cap, the most common style is a rounded, short brimmed hat.

Sometimes with short streamers, although other styles from peaked caps to Zouave caps to full-brimmed hats are also seen.

Boy's cap	Girl's hat

They are peaked caps for the girl.
Wearing a yellow hat and a yellow umbrella is obligations at early elementary school years.
But, it is about two years.

Because young children lack carefulness, wearing a yellow cap and yellow umbrella has been obligated for about two years.

The grade-schooler in recent Japan doesn't wear the hat so much though the baseball cap was the most popular among my grade-schooler age.

Backpack for the Japanese elementary students that is called "RANDOSERU"

What is put in the satchel?

The ランドセル[RANDOSERU] is a firm-sided backpack made of stitched firm leather or leather-like synthetic material, most commonly used in Japan by elementary schoolchildren.

It measures roughly 30 cm high by 23 cm wide by 18 cm deep, and features a softer grade of leather or material on those surfaces which touch the body.

When empty, the average randoseru weighs approximately 1.2 kilograms (about 2 1/2 pounds avoirdupois).

The term RANDOSERU is a borrowed word from the Dutch "ransel" meaning "backpack", a clue to its origins nearly 200 years ago as used in the Netherlands.

Traditionally, the RANDOSERU is red in colour for girls, black for boys.

Traditionally given to a child upon beginning their first year at school, the RANDOSERU's materials and workmanship are designed to allow the backpack to endure the child's entire elementary education (six years).

What is put in the satchel?

Well, what on earth do you think is in RANDOSERU that the grade-schooler in Japan uses every day?

The Japanese grade-schooler has these in the satchel.

1. Handkerchief （ハンカチ[hankachi]）

2. Pocket tissue （ポケットティッシュ/ポケティ[poketto thisshu/pokethi）

3. Textbooks （教科書[kyoukasho]）
　　　*When they go to school, they has about ten textbooks.

4. Notebook （ノート[nooto]）

Notebook of Japanese grade-schooler	Shitajiki of Japanese grade-schooler

5. SHITAJIKI （下敷き[shitajiki]）

SHITAJIKI is a Japanese word for various types of materials placed under a sheet of paper for writing, either to prevent marking on the sheets below or to provide a better surface for writing.

SHITAJIKI for handwriting are generally made of plastic about 1 mm to 2 mm in thickness, making them flexible but still durable.

Merchandised SHITAJIKI are very common, featuring images of everything from tourist attractions to celebrities to anime and manga characters.

6. Pen case （ペンケース/筆箱[pen keesu/ hudebako）

Pen case of Japanese grade-schooler

6. 6. SANSUU-set （算数セット[sansuu setto]）

<Teaching material that they sometimes use at school>

Recorder （リコーダー[rikoodaa]）
The English flute or recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes ― whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina.

Today, it is often thought of as a child's instrument, but there are many professional players who demonstrate the instrument's full solo range.
The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple.

It is distinguished from other members of the family by having holes for seven fingers (the lower one or two often doubled to facilitate the production of semitones) and one for the thumb of the uppermost hand.

Melodica （ピアニカ[pianika]）　

The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica.

It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument.

Melodicas are small and light enough to be carried around.

They have been very popular in music education, especially in Asia.
Melodica is called "ピアニカ[pianika]" in Japan.

Japanese calligraphy set （習字セット[shuuji setto]）

It is used for the training of writing a letter with a writing brush.

 

As for SHUUJI set, a big brush, a small brush, the paperweight, the Hanshi (paper for Japanese calligraphy), the a celluloid board laid under written paper for the brush, the ink stone, and the Indian ink, etc. are stored in one bag.

Melodica is called "習字セット/書道セット[syuuji setto/syodou setto]" in Japan.

 

The watercolor pigment set (絵の具セット[enogu setto]

It is a tool for the watercolor.

 

The ENOGU-set; an opaque watercolor pigment for about 12 color school child, a paintbrush with different 2-3 thickness, palettes, and small buckets to wash the brush are stored in one bag.

Melodica is called "絵の具セット[enogu setto]" in Japan.

 

KOUKAKU-BOU （紅白帽[kouhaku bou）

KOUHAKU-BOU is a hat (physical exercise hat) worn with the gym wear of the child of the elementary school of Japan.
It is also called 赤白帽[akashiro bou].

 

 

Training wear （体操着[taisou gi）

TAISOU-GI is a sportswear.
There are some kinds.
It is short sleeve T-shirt, long sleeve T-shirt, the half pants, long trousers, and a long sleeve jersey.
The design of TAISOU-GI is often school specification, and it is used in PE lesson, the athletic meet, the ball game rally, and the marathon rally, etc.

Melodica is called "体操着[taisou-gi]" in Japan.

 

 

Hararie