As great as my high school was (go, Patriots!), the main building was a lifeless relic of the 1950s, snaked by dreary halls and even drearier stairwells, where students jostled for room while hoping not to humiliate themselves by tripping. But in Japan, it's a different story, apparently.

Rocket News24 has rounded up photos of school stairways transformed by students into colorful anime- and video game-inspired art for culture festivals. There are characters and scenes from Disney films, Attack on Titan, Super Mario Bros., Tokyo Ghoul, Kuroko's Basketball and more.

The website notes that, unlike in the United States, Japanese schools don't have mascots, which means students aren't forced to endure endless patriots, tigers and hawks painted on every possible surface -- or use them to decorate the stairs.