I have yet to see a letter or editorial comment giving real praise for the role Japanese kindergartens play in the cultivation of creativity in young children. Time and time again, I hear foreigners comment on the perceived inability of the Japanese to produce anything creative, especially at the school level.

Non-Japanese are quick to point to a grueling secondary school system that seemingly prepares students for only one goal: passing university entrance tests. These feelings are exaggerated by news documentaries showing young Japanese students wearing white headbands while pouring over a stack of books in preparation for tests. In addition, people just assume that the wearing of school uniforms represents the yielding of individuality and creativity to a faceless mass.

Yet, one important and vital breeding ground of creativity and socialization that is often overlooked is the Japanese kindergarten. My wife and I are now sending our daughter to a Japanese kindergarten in Tokyo and have been pleasantly surprised by the emphasis teachers give to the development of the arts, including music, painting, and crafts. Some of the school art fairs I have seen the United States are pale in comparision to the art exhibitions at different kindergartens I have visited in Japan.

The perpetuated ideas that Japanese children only copy what the teacher draws is an oversimplification of the instructional methods used here. Worst of all, the Japanese themselves are beginning to belive all of this rhetoric withou pointing out the creative edge kindergartens and elementary schools have over their Western counterparts. I think it is time for someone to stand up and applaud the positive aspects of schools here and give praise where it is due.

Copyright © 1998-2006 by Randall S. Davis, All rights reserved.