A video on youtube was posted showing young children sweeping the classroom floors in Japan. In Japanese schools this is normal, unlike many countries in the west where janitors are hired to clean the schools professionally. Comments posted on the video from those who have probably never experienced the Japanese School system left mostly positive comments.
“Aw.I wish we did that over here in america. My elementary school life was boring. You learned and then you went home.” – KittenNyanNyan
“they’re enjoying themselves…
I LOVE Japan !! ^^” – Maio0oia
“That is why asian are so disciplined:)” – wowee9314
In response the 2channers, who are mostly Japanese and had experience in such an environment were a bit more skeptical. Some agreed with the tradition saying that it was good education, but others say it was an old tradition getting stale. Here are some excerpts of the comments posted on the thread
“Because you clean up the mess you’ve made, I don’t want to be told by westerners who rely on housekeepers to clean up everything”
“I think it was ridiculous that they made us clean the principles office, and the teachers lounge. They even made us clean the ashtrays that the teachers were using”
“When I think of it now, it was crazy, I’ve always wondered why they didn’t let us use mops”
“Reply To Above Comment: I agree, they forced us to use rags”
“If you work at a smaller company in Japan they make you clean the offices too”
“Because slavery is enstilled deep within our society, so thats why everyone thinks its normal”
“It becomes a source of bullying, the bullies will make you clean everything for them”
“I don’t remember ever doing it seriously, the girls would be pissed while I did everything”
“Cause if they hired someone it costs money, if they make the students do it they can use the extra profit they’ve made for the teachers + salary bonuses”
“It was an activity to get you in the habit of cleaning things, it has nothing to do with cost”
“I think they should at least use janitors from high school..”
“There are companies like this, where cleaning the washroom is part of an employment exam. They will not let you use brushes or rags, you clean everything ( even someone else’s feces) with your bare hands,
“They answered this on TV along time ago, it had to do with Japan being a buddhist country”
“Some companies make you clean the workplace before working hours, unpaid of course.
“I think iRobot needs to be brought into every classroom”
“Sense of responsibility? I’m just doing it because its a regulation”
“Those foreign barbarians are at it again, don’t ever come to Japan!”
“I think people need to have the choice of if they want janitors to clean the schools or not. Right now I think kids are made to clean the classrooms because it’s a tradition forced by the older generation”
“As an adult I think it was good education”
“The high school + middle school I attended had special janitors, so everything was always cleaned”