Japanese High School years?

Most Americans me included try to forget their High School years. While it seems like High School years are very important to most Japanese. Or am I wrong, and it's just Anime always having a High School setting because students buy the most anime?

I thought high school years are the most memorable in most cultures. People attend "high school reunions", but hardly ever a college or a junior high school reunion. And friends made in high school tend to be more life-long friends. I guess it depends on what you did in high school.

Most people fondly remember their high school years. It is your coming of age period in your life. First kisses, first crushes. Last time you could be relaxed about life before life became real after graduation.

I guess though that some people hated their high school years. But most would have enjoyed them.

Many Japanese me included try to forget their High School years. While it seems like High School years are very important to most Americans. Or am I wrong, and it's just movies always having a High School setting because students buy the DVDs? Or is it Netflix nowadays?

I mean, I can't tell you how many teen movies are being released in America, and how many teen idols are in it. Anyway, I've grown old enough to get over the ugly high school years and start a whole new relationship with the people I used to go to high school with. They're grown now too, and it's great.

Just like every country, I think this is very subjective and depends on the individual person's experience.

I'm not Japanese of course, but I agree with Gigi. I have two Japanese friends, 1 likes her High School years and the other doesn't.

Japanese High School years are filled with lots of memorable activities include, school trip, athletic day(Undo-kai), kyugi-taikai(play on ball day), cultural and school festival day(bunka-sai), singing competition(Gasho-kai), bukatsu, school days with friends and teachers etc.
I suppose, the most western culture schools include Europe and US don't have such school activities compared with JP, therefore, Manga and Anime quite often pick up those High School years in terms of Manga and Anime fan's memory and reflection of school days.

Tokyofriend is right. And what high schools in America typically have that high schools in Japan typically don't are prom, football, cheer-leading, shower rooms, locker rooms, having to move from classroom to another depending on what classes you take, having the freedom to wear whatever you want and to wear make-up, the option to choose dishes at the school cafeteria, grass playgrounds, school buses, driving your car to school, among many others. And we all get to see them in TV shows and movies, as well as in American animation and comic books.