Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Junior High School Teachers

Japanese discipline, particularly in the schools, is a most interesting thing. First of all, the kids, for the most part, are more disciplined than prison inmates back home (and they have a lot more fun).

Let's look at an example. Picture a scenario such as the following: it's school assembly time. There is some event in the gym that bears some semblance of tradition with some trace of formality. Before the ceremony begins, the teachers and students gaily jaunt and joke with each other, basically screwing around. But as soon as the event officially begins, all the teachers put on the serious "I will kill you if you do anything at all, even if it's what you're supposed to do" face, and it's army camp after that. Perhaps it's about 6 degrees in the auditorium, and a child is cold (central heating does not exist in such barbarian lands) and puts his hands in his pockets in a vain attempt to retain additional heat. Result? Herr Chancellor Teacher marches up, murder in his or her eyes, and smokes the kid upside the head. Resolution? The child is afraid to die, and thus allows his hands to go blue, praying to whatever gods he can think of that the teacher won't smite him.
Soon afterwards perhaps, a child is not sitting completely straight or is falling asleep from the boredom of the extremely boring event. The Teachus Violentus, sensing a fight, proceeds with a sharp hand stab to the back. The stabs are repeated until the child is sitting up completely straight, back now welded into place with bruises. Hours are spent on the timing of bowing. Multiple days of classes are replaced with more bowing practice and the repeated singing of the school songs, all under the direction and supervision of a tyrannical 5-foot tall music teacher who bellows various commands and screeches discipline at the hostage student body.
Then, after a few treacherous hours, it's over, and the teachers and kids go back to playing and screwing around.