This study examined the experiences and present attitudes of Japanese and American Fulbrighters who went to the United States (U.S.) and Japan during the period 1951-90. The study sought to understand how these graduate students and scholars incorporated education and related experiences in a different society and culture into their own lives. The…

Journal entries of a secondary school teacher visiting Japan are presented in this document. Observations about entertainment, food, customs, prices of goods, and other aspects of Japanese culture are made. Discussion questions, an activity for 7th- to 12th-graders, and copies of several photographs also are included. (DB)

Focusing mainly on mother/infant interactions in non-Western cultures, this review of literature in the area of comparative child development covers theoretical perspectives, empirical research, and issues and trends. Infancy is defined as the period from birth to 3 years of age to provide the broadest possible coverage. Theoretical perspectives…

A research study, based on a survey of the literature, sought to: (1) analyze recent economic, technological, and sociological trends in Japan; (2) analyze how those trends have or have not had an impact on Japan's historical and currently famous approach to the management of its human resources; and (3) based on findings, present arguments for or…

Comparison of maternal speech to three-month-olds between American (N=20) and Japanese (N=20) mother-infant dyads revealed that infant gaze affected the intended functions of maternal speech differently for the two groups. Cultural differences were also seen in the nature of function-form and function-referent relationships. (Author/CB)

Presents a view of Japanese education based on the experiences and observations of an American educator. Explains cultural contrasts, educational aspects and model, and the question of discipline. A Japanese educator responds with a personal view on educational equality in ability. (RT)

Discusses the patterns of language usage in international families in which the native language of one parent is Japanese and the other English. Using data from several surveys of such families, this article analyzes patterns of language use between spouses, parents and children, and among siblings. Also discussed are the problems that…

An interview with a Japanese professor of education, Nubuo Dobashi, compared characteristics of Japanese and American higher education systems, concluding that Japan is doing an exceptional job of educating average public school students, but the system has problems of access to higher education and lack of educational opportunities for some. (MSE)

Nearly 700 junior and senior high school students in Japan were asked to rate 24 cooperative and competitive behaviors in terms of personal importance during 3 consecutive academic years. Factor analysis of the ratings revealed one general cooperation factor and three competition factors (nonacademic, academic, and group centered). The results are…

This article provides an overview of Japanese women in the role of caregivers of older family members. Cultural influence on women's identity, significance of the caregiver's role, and the struggles and rewards of being caregivers are discussed. Finally, ideas are provided for the use of arts in counseling and implications of their use are…

This article presents commentaries on being gay in Japan and China by distinguished educators with various backgrounds and from different countries. Given space limitations, these are more evocative than particulate, but collectively they provide multiple platforms for reflection. As noted by some commentators in this article and others (e.g.,…

Childcare practices such as feeding, toilet training, sleeping arrangement and discipline in three Asian countries (China, Japan, and India) are compared. These countries differ from each other in culture, religion, language and ethnic makeup from Euro-American culture. The differences in childcare practices are broadly related to the differences…

Modern education in Japan from 1868 to 1945 stressed "national education" in order to promote a sense of belonging to the Japanese state. The Japanese culture was thought to be superior to that of its "less advanced" East Asian neighbors, and Japanese people were encouraged to adopt a "Yamato" identity (the seat of an…

This paper explores the presence of "groupism" in Japan; that is, the phenomenon that youth in Japan are seen in groups and very seldom alone. The text focuses on "groupism" and what that means for schooling practices in both Japan and the United States. Cultural comparisons between the two countries examine the typical…

Conversations between mothers and children from three different cultural groups were analyzed to determine culturally preferred narrative elicitation patterns. The three groups included Japanese-speaking mother-child pairs living in Japan, Japanese-speaking, mother-child pairs living in the United States, and English-speaking Canadian mother-child…