In Japan, the school year runs from April to March. School starts in April because the national government in the Meiji era defined the financial year from April to March of the following year in 1886, forcing the financial year of all schools to be aligned with that of the government.
Gakusei, the Educational System Order, promulgated on August 3, 1872, consists of the laws and regulations pertaining to education. It established the school system in Japan.