Roger's head 0 Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Mad. How loud is your school? ------------------- City education board checked 'loudness' of schools' 'Kimigayo' singing The city board of education in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, surveyed and evaluated how loud the students sang the "Kimigayo" national anthem during this year's graduation and enrollment ceremonies, board members said Sunday. The board's survey of all 40 city-run elementary and junior high schools has prompted complaints from some local residents as to why it was carried out. In addition to checking whether the schools hoisted the Hinomaru national flag, the board asked school principals and board members who attended such ceremonies in spring to check the volume levels, classified as either "small," "medium" or "loud," at which the anthem was sung. The board members said six schools were classified as singing in a "small" voice during graduation, as were five schools during enrollment. These schools were given a verbal warning and told to improve their supervision of students. According to the members, the study was carried out based on a petition submitted to the city assembly seeking thorough education in the flag and anthem. However, following the report on the survey's findings provided Wednesday to the city assembly's committee on education and livelihood, some committee members questioned whether singing volume should have been used as a criterion. The Kurume city board said the action was taken to see if schools are complying with the education ministry's curriculum guidelines which stipulate singing of the national anthem. The Hinomaru and "Kimigayo" were defined by law in 1999 as the national flag and anthem. Their status is a sensitive issue as they are seen as symbols of Japan's imperial system and militarist past. An order issued by the Tokyo education board last Oct. 23, which steps up measures on enforcing the national flag display and anthem singing, has also sparked controversy. The order requires Tokyo-run schools, including schools for the disabled, to display the national flag and sing the national anthem during enrollment and graduation ceremonies. Link to post Share on other sites
nekobi 0 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 one of my friends told me that during his school's high school graduation, many of the teachers remained seated during the national anthem. i'm not familiar with the song, so i dont know if it is sung at my jhs ceremonies. Link to post Share on other sites
excuse me 0 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 It was always sung at the schools I went to. And all the teachers were all good boys and girls and sang. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Quote: i'm not familiar with the song, so i dont know if it is sung at my jhs ceremonies Pretty sure that it will be nekobi. I thought it was actually compulsory. Link to post Share on other sites
stripper on coke 0 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 I'm a bit lost by all this - is the national flag of Japan still the red circle on a white background ? ? ? ? Sometimes I see this other flag with the kind of strips (or sunrays) coming from the red circle (or sun ???). I thought this was the navy's flag, but disused since the war...... As for the national anthem.........are there 2 contenders or something...?????? I know Australia had a look at changing the natinal anthem a few years ago to 'Walzting Matilda'. Or perhaps it was just a bunch of sports fans being loud and 'disrespectful'....still, walzting matilda is sung everywhere, namely sporting events, after the national anthem. I guess it is the 'UNofficial' anthem or something. Do any other countries have an official national anthem, and then the people have a more popular (unofficial) one ??? Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 I've never sung Kimigayo at ceremony of school. So, I can't sing it. I know first phrase. Kimigaaa-yoo-waaaa, Chiyoniii-Yachiyoni....... not sure after this.... I think it was because our teachers didn't like the government urged students to sing it. I realized recently that I could see Hinomaru on national holidays more often than decade ago. Quote: Sometimes I see this other flag with the kind of strips (or sunrays) coming from the red circle (or sun ???). I thought this was the navy's flag, but disused since the war...... They (Japanese navy) still use it. Link to post Share on other sites
stripper on coke 0 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Is this flag that the navy uses 'Hinomaru' ? Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 No, we don't call that navy flag Hinomaru. Link to post Share on other sites
zebedee 1 Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Where I am they all stand and sing with loud voices, proudly indeed. Link to post Share on other sites
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