Graduating from high school represents a significant milestone in any young person¡¯s life, a landmark that certainly wasn¡¯t lost on the countless 18-year-olds milling around Shibuya Station on a recent March afternoon. Among them was 18-year-old Akane Endo, who was brimming with excitement at the prospect of starting a new life in April.
¡°My high school didn¡¯t allow me to have a part-time job, but now that I¡¯ve graduated, I¡¯m looking forward to making money myself so that I¡¯m at least able to pay for my own clothes or transportation,¡± says Endo, who plans to study literature at a Tokyo university.
Like Endo, 18-year-olds who have completed 12 years of education at elementary, middle and high schools nationwide will get their first taste of adulthood next month, when they make a transition to higher education or employment.
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