Graduation starts off slow but becomes greater. Huge plastic sheets have been rolled onto the gym floor from wall to wall. It’s pretty crowded inside. There are lots of parents and some are dressed very well, including some in kimonos. The ceremony is boring with lots of standing and bowing and calling out of names,but unlike most events, everyone is very well behaved and sits down and stands up in unison. One of my favorite 2nd-year students gives a speech, and she gives the best super-bow I’ve ever seen.
The best part of the ceremony is when the 3rd year students are dismissed. In America this is a sloppy mess. We throw our hats up in the air. It feels picturesque, but it’s not so meaningful. Here, it’s great, like the most emotional part of the most emotional movie, repeated 7 times. The classes are called to stand up one by one, as the music swells, and they all hold hands and bow to their teachers and cheer, “arigato gozaimasu!” Then they turn to their parents and do it again. Then they all walk down the isle in center of the room to the back entrance with everyone applauding. The teachers and ALT’s stand along the back entrance, and we can see some of the students crying! Some of us are crying a little bit, too. All 7 classes do this and it’s really beautiful.
After the ceremony, the 3rd year students return to their classrooms to receive their certificates. Having it take place in the classroom is very personal, since Japanese students spent the whole year or longer with each other. Later, everyone is hanging out outside, talking in big groups with their clubs, giving gifts to the members who are leaving, and taking pictures.
Andy, my predecessor, came to watch the ceremony. We took pictures with students afterwards. He was like a celebrity! He walked into a classroom, one girl yelled “Andy!” and the entire class flocked around him with cameras outstretched. Freaky! Tom Cruise style!