School life in Japan is really fun, and I like how it encourages its young to develop collaborative skills. I fondly remember a lunch period with a 7th grade class, in which the boys and girls discussed how to arrange themselves for the inter-class relay and maximise their chances of winning. (Yes, every single member in the class has to run the relay.) Also noteworthy is the inter-class chorale competition, in which the homeroom teacher marshals his or her charges through hours of dedicated practice to have a shot at winning. I think such events enable teenagers to discover their strengths and weaknesses while contributing to something greater than themselves.