April 1 marked a new start for many people in Japan. That’s because it was the first day of both the 学年 (gakunen, academic year) and the 年度 (nendo, fiscal year). いよいよ4月で、新しい生活がスタートします (Iyoiyo shigatsu de, atarashii seikatsu ga sutāto shimasu, April is finally here, a new life begins).
Set against a backdrop of 桜 (sakura, cherry blossoms), several ceremonies mark this time of year. At 小学校 (蝉丑ō驳补办办ō, elementary schools) across the country, 新一年生 (shin-ichinensei, new first-year students) are expected to attend a 入学式 (苍测ū驳补办耻蝉丑颈办颈, school entrance ceremony) with their parents.
If you’re walking around the streets, you will see some children sporting a new 制服 (seifuku, school uniform) and a ランドセル (randoseru, school backpack), a katakana term that comes from the Dutch word “ransel” (knapsack).
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