Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson wrote:
> On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 23:34:57 +0900, "mr.sumo.snr."
> <llanelli14@SPAMSUCKBANANAS.yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >Well that's the real tragedy isn't it.  Japanese kids SHOULDN'T have
to go
> >to inferior schools.  They should be able to have their cake and eat
it.  If
> >there's enough money available to build unnecessary highways, then
there's
> >enough to build new, more compact schools with smaller catchment
areas so
> >poor little Takeshi-kun doesn't have to walk 5km to get home.
>
> Certainly in the cities and suburbs, isn't the long commute due to
> parents choosing a "good" school rather than due to any lack of local
> schools? I'd bet that would outweigh any forced commutes in country
> areas.
>
I'd say this is accurate. My wife commuted about an hour by bicycle to
her high school, though it was more because that was the school she got
into. Whenever someone asks why Japanese aren't as obese as Americans I
use her as an example; she ate McDonalds etc. as much as I ever did,
but she also did a ton of exercise.

I must admit I've never really understood the Japanese school system.
While the US system isn't perfect, I knew most of my life which middle
school and high school I'd attend, and I really didn't have much
choice. In Himeji there are numerous schools but no zoning or anything;
you go to the school your test scores say you go to, which might mean a
long commute to get there.

John W.