A nod is fine – on starting school in 2026

Both of our sons are now in the school system. Even in the three years between Ryden entering in 2023 and Lewis in 2026, I feel a noticeable shift in tone.

When I was young, viewing the UK and Japanese education systems side by side, this country seemed to emphasise order. Sameness, compliance, and supporting the group. Standards appeared high. The kids around me in Japan seemed good at maths, in a way that relatively fewer seemed in the UK.

But above all, order.

At Lewis’ entrance ceremony earlier this month, the emphasis felt different. From Ryden’s experience, I already knew the school actively accepts and accommodates neurodiversity. The Snow Flower Group 雪花組 is a dedicated tuition structure, spanning year groups, for children who struggle in group settings, giving them space to learn in ways that better suit them.

Three years ago, the existence of that as a permanent, built-in framework within a standard municipal primary school was already a surprise - and reassuring.

This year’s ceremony seemed to push things further.

The principal spoke about the importance of aisatsu 挨拶 (greeting one another). But instead of insisting on energy or uniformity, he made a point of admitting that not everyone feels energetic all the time. “Sometimes, if someone says hello to you, it is acceptable to respond with a smile, or even just a nod.”

Japan is often framed as a kind of cultural bubble. But moments like this suggest broader change - an acknowledgment that monolithic structures, while effective for many (even most), do not work for everyone.

I have no grand, unifying theory on what this shift towards accommodation and diversity amounts to, or where it leads. But to me, it feels like a kind of softening.

Three years ago, at Ryden’s entrance ceremony, we felt anxious. His experience at school so far (he’s in his fourth year at Primary School now) has alleviated some of that. The principal’s speech was another step in that direction.