First-Grade Assembly – Theme: “Bonji Tettei”
Today, Wednesday, we held the regular grade assembly for the first-year students.
We first heard a message from the second-grade student in charge of the Lifestyle Committee, who reminded the first-year students about the proper way to wear winter clothing.
It was a chance to review school rules together, such as what kind of jackets are allowed and how to handle hoods.
Seeing a student from another grade speak directly at a first-grade assembly is something quite characteristic of Hokuryō Junior High School, and it was a moment that showed our students’ spirit of self-governance.
Next, the teacher in charge gave a talk.
The four-character phrase introduced as the teacher’s personal motto was “Bonji Tettei” (凡事徹底).
It means “to carry out ordinary, everyday things so thoroughly that others cannot easily imitate you.”
The teacher first encountered this phrase in the sixth year of elementary school, when it was the grade-wide slogan.
Since then, it has remained an important guiding phrase, and today it was shared once again with the first-year students.
The teacher also referred to a major sports story from 2025: Hanshin Tigers manager Kyuji Fujikawa set “Bonji Tettei” as the team’s goal during spring training camp.
The team later went on to win the league championship, and the teacher suggested that “the manager’s idea of thoroughly doing the basics every day may have led to that result.”
In addition, we learned that professional baseball player Ichiro also values this phrase, and that Hidesaburo Kageyama, founder of Yellow Hat, as well as Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Panasonic, cherished “Bonji Tettei” as a personal motto.
It was impressive to hear the teacher say that the more successful a person is, the more carefully and consistently they carry out the most basic, ordinary things.
So, what are the “ordinary things” for you as first-year students?
The teacher explained that having “a heart of gratitude” and “the courage to apologize honestly when you know you are wrong” are exactly the kind of basic attitudes that matter most.
With the message, “You will soon be second-year students. At this turning point, please pause and think once more about what ‘ordinary’ means for you,” the talk came to a close.
Keywords: first-year students, grade assembly, Bonji Tettei, student self-governance, winter clothing, Kyuji Fujikawa, Ichiro
All photos posted here are taken with school-owned cameras, transferred via cable to teachers’ PCs, and uploaded from a securely managed environment.
