Is Japan’s period education adequate?

The arrival of the first period is a major life event for girls. They usually experience it between the ages of 10-15, and around that time, parents and schools are expected to provide guidance and support for them.

In Japan, although some facts about menstruation are included in the current Japanese school curriculum, the details of the menstrual cycle, such as the amount of discharge, associated symptoms and usage of period supplies are not. To compensate for this gap, school nurses, female teachers and external lecturers in Japan give extra classes regarding the practical facts of menstruation. While there’s huge variation in how well these sessions are delivered from school to school, some businesses and individuals have been extending active support to these menstrual education efforts.

Free first-period kits for all girls

Nippon Calmic is known for its rental business of no-touch-sanitary bins to schools, offices and public spaces in Japan. The company, in collaboration with disposable hygiene product manufacturer Unicharm, has been distributing free first-period kits to primary and junior high school students in Japan. Each kit comes with a guidebook for girls and their parents, respectively, in addition to period pads and panty liners. In this collaboration, Nippon Calmic serves as a coordinator between Unicharm and schools, making the kits more accessible nationwide. Since 2019, Nippon Calmic has been working with more than 400 schools every year.

Sex education workshops tackling ignorance issue

Acrosstone is a medical husband-and-wife team and has been committed to providing quality sex education since 2018. The couple gives health and physical education classes at public primary schools and workshops at events. While they usually offer lectures to both male and female students, they also host male-student-only workshops. These are designed to educate males about menstrual needs. They task students with distributing period pads, tampons and menstruation cups in simulated emergency evacuation scenarios.

The idea of this workshop came from the tragedy which occurred during the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. Some evacuation sites failed to distribute period products due to a lack of understanding about the menstrual cycle, primarily among male officials.

In Japan, the discussion about menstruation has largely been a private matter for women. A 2015 survey conducted by the menstruation app Clue illustrates this social tendency. The survey asked 90,000 people from 190 countries if they felt comfortable talking about menstruation to their male friends or colleagues. Overall, 34% of women answered yes to this question, while in Japan, only 13% answered yes , which is the second-lowest number after Saudi Arabia.

Popular YouTube channels covering menstruation

Sex education YouTuber Shiori-nu is an advocate who openly talks about menstruation on her channel. With her experience as a midwife, she posts videos about the mechanism of menstruation, available period supplies and remedies. In addition, TV personality SHELLY also uses her YouTube channel to debunk the negative image of menstruation and sex education in Japan.

The fight against disparities in menstrual education has begun

The existing social norms and currently limited school curriculum are still hurdles to overcome. However, there is an increasingly available mix of methods to inform young people about menstruation and necessary care. With more access to appropriate, positive information about menstruation, society (including males) will empower young women with dignity and confidence.