The Japanese Elementary School Event Schedule Explained

Get the school year under control with this handy vocab crib sheet.

Probably the most important piece of paper your child will bring home from Japanese elementary school is the yearly event schedule—it basically determines the whole family’s plans for the next 12 months. It’s a long list of too many to-dos, which for many foreign moms can be a tad frustrating to figure out and make sense of. Having spent a long time trying to decipher this important list myself, I decided to put my experience into practice and share everything I’ve learned over the years here with you.

So if you’re a mom to a child who attends a Japanese school and want to make sure that your return home in summer doesn’t interfere with sports day, parent-teacher meetings and irregular holidays, read on!

Japanese School Event Calendar Kanji & Kana

行事予定 (gyouji yotei; “Event Schedule”)

These detail the main events that the school has planned for a particular period. You should receive an annual (年間, nenkan; “yearly”) one at the start of each school year. It will probably be in a list or chart format, with a title like this:
令和７年度 主な行事予定 (reiwa shichinendo omona gyouji yotei; “2025 main event schedule”)

4月行事予定 (shigatsu gyouji yotei; “April Event Schedule”)

You will also regularly receive a monthly plan, which will be more detailed and up to date. The above example is just for April.

Key Ceremonies & Events

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始業式 (shigyou-shiki; “Commencement Ceremony”)

This gathering is held at the start of the school year, and on the first day back at school after vacation, but it usually doesn’t involve parents.

入学式 (nyuugaku-shiki; “Entrance Ceremony”)

This big day may be held on the same day as the commencement ceremony, or the day after.

給食開始 (kyuushoku kaishi; “Start Of School Lunch”)

Love it or hate it, catered school lunches are a quintessential part of Japanese elementary school life. You might also see the abbreviated version, 給食始 (kyuushoku hajime; “lunch start”). The end of the lunch service is marked by 給食終了 (kyuushoku shuuryou; “end of lunch”).

保護者会 (hogosha-kai; “Parent-Teacher Meeting”)

Group parent-teacher meetings for each class are usually held in the afternoon, around the start and end of each semester. The teacher will explain how the class is going, what the kids have been doing and what they will be working on next.

There is usually an opportunity to ask questions. PTA representatives are typically determined at the first such meeting of the school year—which is not a reason to miss it.

家庭訪問 (katei houmon; “Home Visit”)

Under this tradition, the teacher of each class visits the home of each student to talk with a parent. The visits are arranged in advance. Some schools have phased this out and instead conduct area visits, 地域訪問 (chiiki houmon; “area visit”) to confirm where students live and if there are any safety issues in their neighborhoods.

公開 (koukai; “Open To The Public”)

A few days a year, schools open their classes to public viewing. It may appear on the event schedule as either 公開授業 (koukai jugyou; “open lesson”) or 学校公開 (gakkou koukai; “open school”). Remember to take slippers with you when visiting the school, and bring your name tag if you’ve been issued one. You may know this by the term that’s more often used at kindergarten; 参観日 (sankan-bi; “Observation Day”).

Excursions & Special Lessons

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遠足 (ensoku; “Excursion”)

You will probably need to make a bento (lunchbox) for your child to take along. Also, check what will happen if it rains, and make plans as needed. A 予備日 (yobibi; “day to reserve”) is usually also set, and if the event gets delayed, it will be rescheduled to that day.

水泳指導 (suiei shidou; “Swimming Instruction”)

It’s also known as pool opening プール開き (puuru biraki; “pool opening”). Remember to stamp your child’s pool card!

夏季休業日始 (kaki kyuugyoubi hajime; “Start Of Summer Holidays”)

This is a complicated way of saying 休み (yasumi; “Holiday”). The end of vacation is noted in a similarly difficult fashion, like 冬季休業日終 (touki kyuugyoubi owari; “end of winter holidays”).

開校記念日 (kaikou kinenbi; “School Anniversary”)

The anniversary of the day the school first opened is usually celebrated with a holiday. Because the date is unique to each school, this is a great day for a weekday visit to somewhere that’s usually very crowded—like Disneyland!

Major School Events

運動会 (undoukai; “Sports Day”)

Every Japanese school takes this day extremely seriously. This big event is at the mercy of the elements, so check what will happen in the case of bad weather. Also, confirm whether you’ll be eating a self-prepared lunch with your child, or separately, or whether a catered school lunch will be provided, which is likely if the event is postponed to a weekday.

Since sports days are usually held on Saturdays, schools give kids a compensatory holiday, 振替休業日 (furikae kyuugyouubi; “substitute holiday”), on the following weekday. An alternative term for this is 代休日 (daikyuubi; “compensatory day off”).

展覧会 (tenrankai; “Exhibition”)

This is a collective showing of the students’ artwork, usually held in the school gym.

引き渡し訓練 (hikiwatashi kunren; “Child Pick-up Emergency Training”)

Although students participate in a number of 避難訓練 (hinan kunren; “emergency drill”) sessions at school throughout the year, this one involves the parents, who have to collect their children from school, as they would be expected to do after a large earthquake.

Trips & Study Programs

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移動教室 (idou kyoushitsu; “Study Trip”)

Literally translated as “mobile classroom,” this refers to school trips of two or more days, usually made by the senior students.

修学旅行 (shuugaku ryokou; “Graduation Trip”)

This is exclusive to sixth graders only. It’s a few-day trip held, usually a few months before the children’s graduation. You will receive plenty of other detailed information prior to this event.

Ceremonies To Mark The End Of School Terms

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終業式 (shuugyou-shiki; “End Of Term Ceremony”)

修了式 (shuuryou-shiki; “Completion Of School Year Ceremony”)

卒業式 (sotsugyou-shiki; “Graduation Ceremony”)

The big day has finally come. Fifth-grade students will also be involved in the graduation ceremony for sixth years, but other grades will have the day off.

Now that you know what all the important school terms mean, get your calendars and pens out and plan the rest of the year accordingly—stress-free!

Is there anything else on your elementary school event schedule you’re struggling to understand? If you have any other general questions about Japanese school life, let us know in the comments below. We would be happy to address them in a separate article!

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Have trouble with appliances in Japanese? Check out our kanji cheat sheet articles for general appliances, washers and dryers, microwave ovens and air conditioners.

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