A typical cleaning time
Cleaning usually comes after lunch or at the end of the day, often to music over the school speakers. The children push the desks to the back of the room, sweep with brooms, then wipe the floor on their hands and knees with cloths called zōkin. Some race down the corridor pushing the cloth in front of them.
Each class is split into small groups (han), and each group has an area such as the classroom, a stretch of corridor, a staircase or a toilet. The areas rotate, often every week.
Why schools do it
Cleaning is seen as part of education. It teaches children to take care of shared spaces, to take responsibility and to work together. Because the students do the daily cleaning, most public schools do not have cleaners for the classrooms.
Some schools practise silent cleaning (mokumoku sōji), where children work without talking and focus on the task.
The same habit outside school
The habit stays with many people. It is one reason Japanese fans are known for tidying up the stands after football matches, and why public places in Japan stay clean despite having few bins.
Tips for families in Japan
- Schools often ask for one or two labelled zōkin cloths at the start of the year. Some families sew them from old towels, and 100-yen shops sell them ready-made.
- Some schools ask for a triangular headscarf (sankakukin) and a mask for cleaning.
- Clothes that can get dirty are best on school days. Children kneel to wipe the floor.
Words you will hear
- 掃除 sōji
- cleaning
- 雑巾 zōkin
- cleaning cloth
- 班 han
- small group of students
- 黙々掃除 mokumoku sōji
- silent cleaning
- 三角巾 sankakukin
- triangular headscarf
See also
More on School culture
- School lunch (kyūshoku) Children serve each other a hot, nutritionist-planned lunch and eat it in the classroom.
- The randoseru and school supplies The famous leather backpack, indoor shoes, a yellow cap and a name on absolutely everything.
- School events through the year Ceremonies, sports day, school trips and festivals that mark the Japanese school year.
- Club activities (bukatsu) After-school clubs that shape junior high and high school life, and the reform moving them to the community.
Cleaning is part of special activities in the MEXT Course of Study. Practice varies by school. Rules, costs and dates vary by city and school, so check with your local office or school.