Day in the Life of a Japanese Mechanic School Student

This is A Day in the Life of a Japanese Car Mechanic Student.

[Music]

This is Kento, 22 years old, living in a college dorm in Tochigi, Japan,

and he is just waking up for school.

He's actually from the prefecture, but given that it's 3 times the size of Tokyo

and his hometown is quite far from school, it made more sense commute wise for him to live here.

Oh, he forgot his towel in his room.

So how's sharing the bath with everyone here?

It's super close from my room, so very convenient.

Oh, does it ever get crowded?

Usually just before we have to leave for class.

I guess he gets ready before the rush so he has a lot more space.

In Japan, about 55% of college students live with their parents, while 40% live on their own,

and only about 5% live in dorms.

Unlike the West, there isn't the same expectation in the country

for students to move out when they go to college.

Living with parents is completely normal,

while sharing an apartment with roommates isn't nearly as common.

Now he has breakfast, which is usually something he bought

from the supermarket or convenience store the day before.

His monthly rent for his air conditioned room with a shared bath and kitchen is around ¥40,000, about $250.

The dorm also has a cafeteria with its own nutritionist,

which we'll see a bit later on.

Oh, do you often eat curry in the morning?

No, I eat different things.

But I usually eat quite a bit

I see. By the way, what's that?

The original muffler from my car

I recently replaced it

Oh, what are you gonna do with it?

I'll sell it to a parts shops

And the steering wheel too?

No, I'm gonna install this one.

Nice.

He commutes to school by bike, which only takes about 10 minutes,

although commuting by car is also finally possible for him,

unlike when he was younger at a typical Japanese high school.

Good morning all. I'm back with another "Day in the Life."

And I'm going to be going into a Japanese mechanic school, so I'm super excited for this one.

All I had to do is wait for Kento to come.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Did you sleep alright?

I was studying and playing a game until late at last night but somehow I managed to wake up

I also have a test today so I hope I can pass it

Good luck.

This is Kento's school, Nissan Tochigi Automobile Technical College,

a Nissan-run vocational school where 490 students train to become Seibishi, professional mechanics.

Students learn about Nissan's latest technologies from experienced instructors,

including GT-R certified technicians. Kento is a third-year student

in the school's four-year advanced automotive engineering program,

working towards Japan's highest level national certification for automotive mechanics.

You have to change into that every day?

That's right

Oh, how many sets do you have?

I have a few more sets and I wash them every week

It's super clean.

That's because I just washed it

Oh, and he's also wearing steel toe shoes with his uniform since he has hands-on work every day.

What are you doing now?

I'll study a bit

For a test? What's it on?

It's a midterm test which covers everything we've learned so far this year

Oh, what if you don't pass the midterm?

If you don't pass, you have to stay after class to study

Well, good luck then.

His ultimate goal at the end of 4 years is to earn Japan's highest national certification

for mechanics, which is quite a demanding exam.

In fact, in 2025, only 50% of the candidates passed the written exam.