Scandals in Japanese Schools

In this article I'll talk about scandals that I've heard about regarding schools in Japan.

Foreign Teachers

In Japan, you'll see a lot of different characters. Foreign teachers here are a rare kind of person. I'm sorry to say, but a lot of strange people move to Japan to teach English. Before the pandemic, I would see all sorts of people that made me wonder how they were able to get a visa. 

That's a harsh thing to say, but not everyone is all there. They seem like a danger to themselves or to others, and it makes you wonder what the screening process is in Japan. So, I feel that this may contribute to some of the reasons for the scandals I have heard. 

Of course, I don't think they're the only reasons. Sometimes it's hard to see if someone is a predator or dangerous. I also would like to add that there are some Japanese teachers, or just regular Japanese people, who are included in the scandals that I've heard about.

Sexual Predators

In Japan, you have to be careful with your children just like you would be in any other country. At one of my friend's preschool which she taught at, there was a man who was taking pictures of the kids. So, they had to call the police. 

The police knew about him though. They had called multiple times for the same guy. I guess they "couldn't" catch him or something. Or maybe they thought he was harmless... Who knows.

I have heard at my current school, that an old man tried to pick up one of the children while they were playing. You have to keep a watchful eye around the old guys. Sorry to say. Of course, I don't know if they honestly mean any harm, but we have to be cautious just in case.

Another friend told me about another guy that she knew of. The guy was not Japanese, but he worked at an elementary school. She said that he suddenly emailed her saying that he was leaving for his home country. 

Come to find out, the guy had been taking pictures of the children. Some pictures were without their underwear. He would upload them to the dark web. He was the head teacher, so he was left alone with the kids quite a bit. My friend doesn't know if there's videos or if he touched them or not.

The police were on to him, so he fled the country. It's really sad that people come here to do those things. It's sad that people want to hurt children. It's something to think about if you ever have any suspensions regarding adults around children. Luckily, at my school, there are cameras. I think a lot more preschools have adopted cameras for obvious reasons.

Teachers Dating Students

I have also heard a story about some Japanese teachers dating high school students. My friend said that high school girls would have their legs up to would show their underwear. It reminds me of the thong trend we had back in the day. You would pull your thong out of your jeans to show it off.

I NEVER did that trend though; I think my parents would strangle me to death. If you're wondering if the parents knew about their daughters dating a teacher, the answer is, yes. Yes, they knew, but unfortunately, I guess they didn't care. 

It's not illegal here in Japan either. Therefore, I don't think the police can get involved. I have heard about non- Japanese men doing the same thing as well. That is, dating students. Not just high school though, also in middle school as well.  Protect your kids’ guys... seriously.

Final Thoughts

I feel like I always say this, but no matter where you go in the world, there will always be sick people. You cannot hide from them nor can you escape them. Japan is no different from every other place in the world.

There are people here who like to pray on the weak and innocent. There are people who come here to pray on the weak and innocent. If you do come to teach her, please keep a watchful eye. And please call the authorities if something isn't right. Well, until next time.