Enrollment ceremonies were held Tuesday at public schools in Tokyo, where the board of education issued a controversial order in October that the national flag must be flown and the anthem sung at such ceremonies.
Also Tuesday, the education board punished 20 more teachers for disobeying the order to stand and sing "Kimigayo" at graduation ceremonies in March at schools run by the metropolitan government. The move brought the total number of teachers punished since the ordinance was issued to 196.
The board is sending officials to the ceremonies for the new school year at all schools run by the metropolitan government to check whether the order is being followed, board officials said.