The number of students going abroad for study purposes continues to grow exponentially, even despite the global economic downturns of recent years. One exception is Japan, where the number of students going overseas has continued to decline since the mid-2000s. This paper first explores various explanations for the persistent decline in Japanese…

Two-year colleges have played an important role in providing postsecondary education for women in postwar Japan. More recently, a dwindling college-bound population in Japan has resulted in a drastic decrease in the number of and enrollment in 2-year colleges. This study explored the motivations and aspirations of 12 Japanese female students to…

The influence of the college entrance examination (CEE) on social cohesion in Japanese society is considered, based on a 1976-1977 study in Nagoya, Japan. Attention is focused on socialization of adolescents and educational practice at the secondary level, and specifically cognitive and motivational orientations that are affected by CEE practice,…

This article reviews the existing anthropological and sociological evidence on school choice and educational stratification in Japan. Traditional linear models developed in the West have given little insight into how stratification processes actually occur. There must be analysis of the institutional linkages and organizational cultures of schools…

This study sought to better understand the academic and social aspirations of undergraduate women in Guam and Japan. A survey question examined whether significant differences existed between Guamanian and Japanese undergraduate women in status aspirations and occupational ethics and in their life course selection. The questionnaire's five…