Japanese children spend their free time in all kinds of ways. Of course, kids everywhere love to play. Video games, such as those made by Sega and Nintendo, are very popular, but Japanese children also go outside to play soccer and baseball, to jump rope, or, recently, to ride unicycles. Some kids also like collecting stickers or erasers and exchanging them with their friends.

Small children love to watch cartoons on television, but after they turn 10 or so, many youngsters begin watching dramas and variety shows. They buy CDs of popular music and decorate their rooms with posters of their favorite stars.

Lately, particularly in the cities, many children are taking private lessons outside of school, learning how to swim or play the piano from as young as the age of five. To improve or broaden their studies at school, many children begin attending private tutoring schools called juku from about age 10.

Japanese children also enjoy taking part in many seasonal activities with their families. Their favorite is summer vacation, when they go to swimming pools or the sea. From summer through autumn, they enjoy hiking and camping in the mountains. During the winter, Japanese children celebrate the New Year and sometimes go skiing. Photos courtesy of Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

What sort of school is a juku ? What do Japanese children enjoy doing with their families? What events take place in spring? What events take place in summer? What events take place in autumn? What events take place in winter? What kind of games do Japanese kids play? What kind of TV shows do Japanese kids watch? Do Japanese kids get an allowance? Do mothers work in Japan?

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