Do you know how to ride a unicycle?
My guess is, probably not. But most Japanese children born after 1989, when Japan’s Ministry of Education made unicycling a part of the physical education curriculum for third and fourth graders, do.
Learning is relatively quick, with most students getting it down in just one week. Many Japanese children continue to unicycle throughout childhood, during recess, or after school. Some even become competitive, entering into unicycle competitions both domestically and internationally. In fact, many of the world records are held by Japanese athletes.
Cazz Hyakuno, a UK-based recruiter who grew up in Japan, moved to Nagoya prefecture in 5th grade (year 6) and decided to learn after seeing all of her classmates unicycling during recess.
“It was so difficult, I remember being so frustrated. But once you learn, you can't stop because it’s so addictive. You feel like you’ve mastered this impossible skill.”
Veronica Richter, an American who taught in Shimane prefecture as an Assistant Language teacher until 2020, noted that “The older students all knew how to ride it as it was a part of gym class. The schools all had unicycles available for the students to ride during recess, but it was mostly the 3rd-5th graders who rode them around.”
But the question is, why?
Why is it a part of the national curriculum?
One of the reasons why the government recommends unicycling is to promote balance, independence, and grit. It also serves as a fun way to build skills and progress steadily.
The independence of Japanese children can be seen elsewhere as well. Richter notes that “They all walk to school or bike to school by themselves, even the kindergartners and elementary students. Some of the students walk 40 minutes to school every morning and then 40 minutes again back home, even in the snow and rain. Compared to America where everyone generally rides a yellow school bus, it’s a stark difference.”
Japanese students also clean after themselves every day-- there is no school janitor. After lunch and a short recess, they have ‘cleaning time,’ which further promotes independence and responsibility. The students also have lunch duty, where they take turns serving lunch to their peers and teachers.
Japanese education varies greatly from Western education in other ways. Tradition is very important, and the Japanese education system upholds many traditions through school rules, practices, and events. For example, Japanese students take moral education and calligraphy classes and can participate in unique clubs like Kagura (traditional Shinto ritual ceremonial dance). A vast majority of schools also host yearly Culture Festival and Sports Day events.
When I asked Hyakuno if unicycling is a reflection of any other aspect of Japanese culture, she noted Japan’s enthusiasm for the specialized and distinct.
“Japanese kids learn how to do unique things like intricate jump rope tricks, unicycling, spinning a pencil between their fingers, and folding origami. I remember all the girls at school would fold origami boxes, place them on their desks and put their eraser shavings in them. They’re not necessarily useful to life, but they become cool skills as an adult.”
Unicycling may seem like a trivial skill, but it serves a bigger purpose. Perhaps if all children around the world had to learn how to ride a unicycle at age 8, we would be more resilient, independent, and have washboard abs as a plus.