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Mar 25 2013 12 Comments

Japanese graduates ready to face the future?

Japan’s economic outlook is far from rosy. Plus certainties of the past such as a job for life are long gone. But on graduation day at least, it’s a time for former students to embrace such uncertainty, and hope that the future will be just as colourful as their ceremonial hakama.

Japanese graduation kimono or hakama

Categorized: Culture, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. tatsurou says

    3/25/2013 at 9:24 am

    The state of Japanese junior and senior college students:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M6rb6kknj3A

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/25/2013 at 11:26 am

      Cheers for the link. Very interesting. The whole Japanese job recruitment thing seems like a thoroughly horrendous experience. As does being a company ‘freshman’ should they be successful. The Smiths Heaven Knoes I’m Miserable Now springs to mind…

      Reply
  2. Hans ter Horst says

    3/25/2013 at 3:39 pm

    Great shot, sort of like a revolving door symbolism going on: the new student going up for the stairs, the finished product leaving and going down the stairs again, back to the start 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/25/2013 at 4:52 pm

      Cheers. Yeah, ideally I’d have liked to have another school student going up the steps in the left of the frame, but sadly such elements are beyond my control!

      Reply
  3. Jeronimo says

    3/25/2013 at 8:17 pm

    Very nice pic ! Lot of symbolism… specially at the train station where the atmosphere is very unique in Japan.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/25/2013 at 10:16 pm

      Thank you.

      Yeah, there were a couple of elements I was happy to get in the frame.

      Reply
  4. Squidpuppy says

    3/26/2013 at 4:19 pm

    I’ve always thought the graduation hakama to be a lovely and charming tradition. If only the men would wear Meiji / Taisho period garb too…

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/26/2013 at 9:05 pm

      Yes, I totally agree.. Did see a few young fellas in traditional garb as well this year though. A very cool look, and way better than a bland suit that’s for sure.

      Reply
  5. kimora says

    3/28/2013 at 12:48 am

    I’ve been browsing through your site for a while and I think this is my favorite pic. Cheers to you!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/28/2013 at 9:52 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  6. ameiji says

    3/28/2013 at 8:34 pm

    The picture tells a lot.
    Nice to see you keep on telling us your stories, Lee!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/29/2013 at 3:57 pm

      Thanks!

      I couldn’t imagine not doing it.

      Reply

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