August 31st - The hardest summer memory

For most elementary school students in Japan, August 31st is the hardest day in summer vacation.

The long summer vacation starts in many Japanese public schools (elementary, junior high/high schools) in late July and lasts for about 40 days. (Some schools in northern Japan have a little shorter holiday.) Students enjoy swimming, traveling, and doing what they can't usually do when they have classes in the school. They have precious experience during the summer.

On the other hand, students, especially in elementary schools, get much homework such as workbook, free topic research, handicraft, painting, and so on. They remember that they have a lot of homework to do at the timing that vacation is running out.

Then, happy vacation changes to "hell". Students rush into libraries to do research, access the websites for checking the weather. Some asks their parents to help finishing homework. Others do workbook till midnight. They manage to finish these tough works to turn them in the school on the first day of 2nd school term, September 1st.

The hardest memory changes into good memory in adulthood. Enjoy summer vacation, Japanese boys and girls!