Japan Data Archive

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What do children enjoy doing?

An overwhelmingly popular recreation among children is video games, for which new software packages are issued one after another.
Many children do not have much time to play, especially outside after school because of juku, or cram school, and homework.
It is a thrill for children to play video games without their parents'knowledge.
Reading manga (comic books) is another pastime the mjority of children enjoy.
They always look forward to reading serialized manga in weekly and monthly magazines.
In Japan, video games and manga are more than just entertainment for children.
Large numbers of people in their 20s and 30s also enjoy them.
Young company employees often read manga on trains as they commute.
A 2002 survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology found that the proportion of children going to extracurricular cram schools (juku) was 35.69% for sixth grade pupils and 62.5% for ninth grade pupils.
It is indeed a pity that they don’t have more time to play.