At the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the United States. The period from 1945 to 1952 was a time of major reform in Japanese society, including education. One of the reforms that the occupation brought to Japan was a new structure for its education system. The new school system, which is still in use today, is based on 6 years of elementary school (grades 1-6); 3 years of junior high school (grades 7-9); and 3 years of high school, (grades 10-12.) Compulsory education officially ends at the end of junior high school, but most students continue on to some type of high school. Students in elementary and junior high school usually attend the school closest to their homes, although there are exceptions. Once students reach high school, however, they may have to travel a long way, maybe an hour or more, to get to school. Elementary and junior high schools are similar throughout the country in terms of curriculum, but the high schools are different. Some high schools stress academics, while others, such as vocational or agricultural high schools, place more emphasis on learning a skill.