– Exploring the fine line between motivation and pressure in Japan’s culture of perseverance –
A few years ago, a Canadian friend sent me this video over a Japanese Kindergarten child attempting a vaulting box. He was utterly speechless and asked me, “What is going on here?” > The Video
In the video, a child tries to vault over a stack of boxes of considerable height. He fails once, twice, three times. His eyes fill with tears. Still, the teachers send him back and he keeps trying. Then, something remarkable happens: his classmates form a circle around him and begin chanting together, “You can do it! You can do it! You can do it!”（できる！できる！できる！）The impossible becomes possible: the boy finally clears the vault.
There’s a backstory, too. All children in this kindergarten perform the vault at their graduation ceremony. But due to his mother’s illness, this boy’s family had to move towns earlier than expected. A special ceremony was held just for him. His motivation was to show his strength to his mother—to symbolize his hope that she, too, could overcome her illness.
Yes, it’s moving. Try your best. Never give up. The irreplaceable power of peer support. You can do it—even if it seems impossible.
This video, from 2016, captures something quintessentially Japanese: the “Gambaru” spirit. Gambaru (I’ll do my best) and Gambarou (Let’s try our best together) are phrases deeply woven into the fabric of Japanese life. They’re everywhere—in school, at work, during natural disasters, even in casual conversation.
Rooted in 2,500-year-old Chinese philosophy Confucianism, values like diligence, perseverance and moral duty are still held in high regard in Japan. Children are raised to push themselves, support one another, and never give up—ideals that still shape classrooms and boardrooms alike. Trying hard is valued higher than succeeding effortlessly.
But there’s a darker side.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Education, nearly 300,000 schoolchildren refused to attend school in 2022, making up 3.2% of the student population—a record high. The leading cause is bullying. In a culture where “trying your best” is a moral obligation, what happens if you can’t? Children who fail to meet expectations may be seen as weak, lazy, or selfish. The same gambaru mentality that lifts one child over the vault can isolate another who’s unable to keep up.
It’s complicated. The spirit of gambaru can be both empowering and oppressive. It can lift, or it can crush. So what should we take from all of this?
We — Japanese children, teachers, parents, and adults—must start freeing ourselves from the belief that we always have to make it, just like everyone else. Struggling does not mean failing. Not fitting in doesn’t make us inferior. We need to create room in our minds for rest, difference and failure. Being able to give up can also be a strength.
