On Friday, April 24, our school held a seminar on coming of age. We invited an outside instructor, who lectured on the knowledge and the mindset expected of an adult.

The lecture touched on the awareness and responsibility that come with being a member of society, and used concrete examples to explain clearly the matters that bear on daily life and on the future. In particular, it covered a great deal of practical content directly connected to the students’ lives from here on, such as basic knowledge about contracts and consumer affairs, and key points for heading off trouble before it arises.

The students listened intently with serious expressions, measuring the content against their own lives, and many were seen taking eager notes. There were also moments when they thought more deeply in response to the instructor’s questions, and it was striking to see each one of them trying to learn on her own initiative.

Approached from a perspective quite different from that of ordinary lessons, this seminar was a valuable opportunity to consider what it means to stand as an independent adult. We believe the students renewed their sense of how important it is to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions, and raised their awareness of the life ahead of them.

As they reach the milestone of adulthood, we hope they will put what they learned here to use in daily life and carry it forward into better choices and better actions.