No, Japan does not have school seven days a week, but the schedule is often more demanding than the standard Western 5-day week. While most public schools officially moved to a five-day work week (Monday–Friday) in 2002 to reduce student stress, many private schools still hold half-day classes on Saturdays. Furthermore, the "shadow education" system, known as Juku (cram schools), means that a vast majority of students attend extra evening and weekend classes to prepare for rigorous entrance exams. Even on Sundays, many students are involved in mandatory "Bukatsu" (school clubs or sports teams), which often hold practices or competitions. So, while the "official" academic instruction doesn't span seven days, the cultural reality for many Japanese youths is a seven-day commitment to school-related activities, leaving very little true "leisure" time compared to their international peers.