Alex in Japan — Episode 02
October 13, 2026
Chapter 1 — Where Is Everyone Going?
Tuesday morning.
I walked into my classroom feeling like a completely different person.
Last Friday, I’d been the new American student who couldn’t even figure out which shoes to wear.
Today?
I was the new American student who remembered his indoor shoes.
Progress.
“GOOD MORNING, HARU!”
Haru looked up from his book.
Haru: “Good morning. And please don’t shout.”
“Did you miss me?”
Haru: “It’s been four days.”
“Four very long days!”
Haru: 「……朝から元気すぎやろ。」
(…He’s way too energetic this early in the morning.)
I dropped my bag onto my desk.
“So, where do we go for our first class?”
Haru looked confused.
Haru: “What do you mean?”
“Which classroom? Math? English? Science?”
Haru: “We stay here.”
“Okay, but where do we go after that?”
“Here.”
“And after that?”
“Still here.”
I stared at him.
“Wait. You mean the TEACHERS move?”
Haru: “Yes. Usually.”
I slowly looked around the classroom.
“So this is… our classroom?”
Haru: “That’s right.”
“All day?”
“Most of the day. We go elsewhere for some subjects.”
I grabbed the edge of my desk.
“Haru.”
“What?”
“WE HAVE A HOME BASE!”
Haru: 「……教室を基地みたいに言わんといて。」
(…Please don’t call our classroom a military base.)
At my old school in America, I was used to walking between classrooms for different subjects.
Here, the teachers usually came to us instead.
I wasn’t sure which system I preferred yet.
But I was definitely going to spend less time getting lost in hallways.
Chapter 2 — The Mysterious Lunch Hour
By lunchtime, I was starving.
“Haru! Where’s the cafeteria?”
Haru: “You brought lunch, right?”
I proudly pulled a sandwich out of my bag.
“Yep! Dad made this.”
Haru: “Then you can eat here.”
“Here?”
“In the classroom.”
I looked around.
Students were opening lunch boxes at their desks.
Some had rice.
Some had colorful side dishes.
One student had an incredibly impressive-looking lunch.
“Wait. Everyone just eats in the classroom?”
Haru: “A lot of us do.”
“But I thought we’d all go to a cafeteria!”
Haru: “Some Japanese high schools have cafeterias. Some students buy lunch, and some bring food from home. It depends on the school.”
I looked at his lunch box.
Rice.
Egg.
A few vegetables.
And something that looked delicious.
“What’s that?”
Haru: “Tamagoyaki.”
“Tamago… what?”
Haru: “Japanese rolled omelet.”
“Can I try it?”
Haru hesitated.
Haru: “You haven’t even tasted your sandwich.”
“But that’s an American sandwich. I’ve had thousands!”
He sighed, then offered me a small piece.
I took one bite.
My eyes widened.
“WHY IS THIS SO GOOD?!”
Several classmates looked over.
Haru: “It’s just an omelet.”
“JUST an omelet?! Haru, this is an INTERNATIONAL DISCOVERY!”
Haru: 「……大げさすぎるわ。」
(…He’s exaggerating again.)
I carefully wrote the word tamagoyaki in my notebook.
Some discoveries were too important to forget.
Chapter 3 — Who Stole the Janitor?
After lunch, the afternoon lessons passed surprisingly quickly.
Finally, the last class ended.
I stretched my arms.
“YES! Freedom!”
Then something strange happened.
Instead of leaving, students started moving their desks.
Someone opened a cupboard.
Another student pulled out a broom.
And Haru was holding a dustpan.
I blinked.
“Are we having an emergency?”
Haru: “No.”
“Did someone spill something?”
“No.”
“Then why does everyone have cleaning equipment?”
Haru: “It’s cleaning time.”
I looked toward the door.
“Okay. So when does the cleaning staff arrive?”
Haru pointed at me.
Haru: “You’re looking at one of them.”
I froze.
“ME?!”
Haru: “Students help clean the classroom at this school.”
I looked around.
Everyone was sweeping, wiping desks, or collecting trash.
Nobody seemed surprised.
“But… we’re students!”
Haru: “I know.”
“We came here to STUDY!”
Haru: “And to help take care of the place we use.”
I considered this.
“So it’s like doing chores at home?”
Haru: “Something like that.”
“Except there are thirty people doing chores together?”
Haru: “Exactly.”
I grinned.
“THEN THIS IS A TEAM SPORT!”
Haru: “Please don’t turn cleaning into a competition.”
Too late.
I was already holding a broom.
“TEAM ALEX! LET’S GO!”
Haru: 「……絶対めんどくさいことになる。」
(…This is definitely going to turn into a headache.)
Chapter 4 — The Great Cleaning Championship
“Ready, Haru?”
Haru: “For what?”
“THE GREAT CLASSROOM CLEANING CHAMPIONSHIP!”
Haru stared at me.
Haru: “That’s not a thing.”
“It is now!”
I started sweeping.
Fast.
Very fast.
Possibly too fast.
A cloud of dust rose into the air.
“A-CHOO!”
Haru stepped back.
Haru: “Alex! Slowly!”
“But I’m winning!”
Haru: “We’re not competing!”
A cheerful voice came from the doorway.
Teacher: 「おっ、アレックス！ 掃除、頑張ってるな！」
(Oh, Alex! You’re working hard on the cleaning!)
It was the young teacher we’d met at the entrance on my first day.
Today, he was wearing a sports jacket, as if he might start coaching a basketball team at any moment.
Teacher: 「せやけど、ほこり舞い上がってるで！」
(But you’re sending dust everywhere!)
I smiled.
“THANK YOU, SENSEI!”
The teacher laughed.
Teacher: 「元気ええなあ！」
(You’ve got plenty of energy!)
Haru covered his face with one hand.
Haru: 「……褒められたと思ってるし。」
(…And he thinks that was a compliment.)
The teacher picked up a broom.
Teacher: 「ほな、こうやってゆっくり掃くんや。」
(Here, sweep slowly like this.)
He demonstrated.
I watched carefully.
Small movements.
A little dust at a time.
Much better.
“Ohhh! It’s about teamwork and technique!”
Haru: “And not making more mess.”
I looked at the classroom.
Everyone was doing something different.
But somehow, it all worked together.
For the first time, cleaning didn’t feel like a punishment.
It felt like being part of the class.
“Hey, Haru?”
Haru: “Yeah?”
“This is actually kind of fun.”
Haru smiled a little.
Haru: “You say that now.”
Chapter 5 — School Isn’t Over Yet?!
When the classroom was finally clean, I grabbed my bag.
“Okay! NOW we’re done!”
Haru was putting away the dustpan.
Haru: “Going home?”
“Obviously!”
From outside, I heard shouting.
“ONE! TWO! THREE!”
Then the sound of running footsteps.
I looked out the window.
Students were practicing on the school grounds.
Some were playing baseball.
Others were running.
“Wait… what’s happening now?”
Haru: “Club activities.”
“After school?”
Haru: “Yes.”
“Every day?”
Haru: “Some clubs practice almost every day. Others meet less often.”
I looked at him.
“So you finish school…”
Haru: “Yes.”
“Then you clean the school…”
“Yes.”
“Then you do MORE school?”
Haru laughed.
Haru: “That’s one way to put it.”
I leaned toward the window.
“What club are you in?”
Haru: “I’m in the photography club.”
“Photography?”
Haru: “I like taking pictures. It’s quiet.”
I thought about that for a second.
Then I pointed at myself.
“Do you think they’d let me join?”
Haru slowly turned his head.
Haru: “You?”
“Of course! I could photograph everything!”
Haru: “You might scare the birds away.”
“WITH MY PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS?”
Haru: “With your voice.”
I burst out laughing.
He did too.
Just a little.
And somehow, that tiny laugh made my whole day.
Chapter 6 — More Than Just a Classroom
On the way home, I thought about everything I’d learned.
At this school, I didn’t always have to change classrooms between lessons.
A lot of students ate lunch together at their desks.
We helped clean our classroom ourselves.
And even after the school day ended, there were clubs and activities everywhere.
It was different from the school I’d known back home.
Not necessarily better.
Not necessarily worse.
Just different.
But there was something I liked about it.
At first, the classroom had felt like a strange place full of strangers.
Now, I recognized the desks.
The voices.
The people who laughed when I said something ridiculous.
And the quiet boy who kept explaining everything to me.
“Haru!”
He looked over.
Haru: “What now?”
“Thanks for today!”
Haru: “For what?”
“For teaching me how to survive Japanese school!”
He shook his head.
Haru: “It’s only your second day.”
“Exactly! Imagine how much help I’ll need by Friday!”
Haru: 「……ほんま、先が思いやられるわ。」
(…Seriously, this is going to be a long three years.)
But he was smiling again.
And this time, he didn’t even try to hide it.
Alex’s Discovery — Japanese School Life
1. Do Japanese students stay in the same classroom?
In many Japanese high schools, students have a home classroom where they spend much of the day. Teachers often move between classrooms to teach different subjects.
Students may still move to special rooms for science, physical education, music, or other activities.
At many American high schools, students move between classrooms for different subjects, although schedules and systems vary widely.
2. Do Japanese high school students eat lunch in their classrooms?
Many do! Students may bring a homemade bento, buy lunch at school, or use a cafeteria where one is available.
School-provided lunches are common in Japanese elementary schools and many junior high schools, but arrangements at high schools vary.
3. Do students really clean their schools?
Yes. Many Japanese schools have a regular cleaning period called sōji.
Students may sweep floors, wipe desks, clean common areas, and take turns performing other duties.
This is often treated as an opportunity to learn cooperation and responsibility. Cleaning arrangements differ between schools.
4. What are Japanese school clubs?
Bukatsu (部活) are school clubs for activities such as sports, music, art, science, and photography.
Some clubs meet frequently, including on weekends, while others have lighter schedules. Participation rules vary by school.
Japanese Words to Remember
- 掃除 (Sōji): Cleaning.
- 弁当 (Bentō): A packed meal, often arranged in a lunch box.
- 卵焼き (Tamagoyaki): Japanese rolled omelet.
- 部活 (Bukatsu): School club activities.
- 先生 (Sensei): Teacher.
