“Japan’s independent kids”

The short documentary begins by sharing the Japanese proverb “Kawaii ko ni wa tabi o saseyo,” or “Send the beloved child on a journey.” This saying, which holds that children should learn to take on challenges and difficulties from an early stage in life, alludes to the fact that Japanese children are typically socialized into becoming independent and taking care of themselves at a younger age than are many children in Western countries. One striking example of this young independence is in how Japanese elementary school students commute to school on a daily basis.

Viewers next meet the adorable seven-year old Noe Ando during a typical day on her commute to elementary school, which she makes alone by train. She even has to transfer once at JR Shinjuku Station, which is the busiest station in the world by number of passengers. Just walking through the station can be a harrowing ordeal in itself for an adult, let alone for a tiny child during rush hour.