Counting years in Japanese

In addition to the western way of counting the years the Japanese have a traditional system based on the reign of the Emperors. Thus the year 1993 is also referred to as Heisei 5. There are also 14 national holidays in Japan. One long series of holidays that goes from from the end of April to the beginning of May is known as Golden Week. Golden Week ends with children's day on May 5th, during which parents with boys fly carp banners above their homes. This expresses their wish that their children grow up strong and healthy like carps.

Japanese Colleges and Universities

Including Junior Colleges, there are approximately 1,000 universities in Japan. While mostly are concentrated in large cities, some universities have recently moved their campuses into more rural areas, and a few major universities have decentralized their campuses by locating various departments in different areas. Most campus facilities include libraries, co-op stores, gymnasiums, swimming pools, and cafeterias, and some have university hospitals attached to their medical schools. Housing for students and faculty staff however are limited.