The New School Year

Our two-week spring break ended Monday when we came back to a new school year. For reasons that seem nothing short of arbitrary to me, Japan begins the school year in April. The first day we didn't actually have any classes, but instead had many 'welcome back' ceremonies. One of the more important events is the induction of the new first-graders. Full-time school is a big adjustment for them, so for the next two weeks they'll only go to class for three periods and eat lunch during fourth period. Then a week of four periods and lunch. And that will be the end of half-days in their lives. Here they are on their first day:

Early grooming for stoic posing.

The most beautiful woman on Zamami. And her son. Sigh.