TOKYO -- The April start of Japan's school year, which dates back a century, is said to be related to the country's agricultural background.
When Japan pushed modernization during the Meiji Period in the late 19th century, farmers were told to submit their taxes in money and not in rice. But it took time for farmers to turn their fall harvests into money, and made it difficult for bureaucrats to form a state budget by January to start the new year.
