Afghanistan vs Japan
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
Afghanistan
Since 2021, Afghan girls over 12 are banned from attending school.
The Taliban's return ended two decades of progress in girls' education, affecting 1.4 million secondary-school girls.
Japan
In Japan, six-year-olds ride the Tokyo subway alone.
A culture of collective responsibility and meticulous safety infrastructure makes child independence possible in one of the world's largest cities.
Afghanistan
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, girls above grade 6 are banned from school and women from universities. Boys' education continues but with revised curriculum emphasizing religious studies. Before 2021, enrollment had risen from near-zero for girls to 3.5 million.
Japan
Academic rigor balanced with group harmony. Students clean their own classrooms and serve lunch. The school year starts in April. Cram schools (juku) supplement formal education for 60%+ of students by middle school.
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