Provides an overview of Japan's educational system, covering such topics as its examination system, curriculum, extracurricular activities, and typical school day schedule. Includes information on the role of the family in education, teacher training, and teaching conditions. (GEA)

Examines the effects of culture on educational practice in Japan, focusing on three salient aspects of the cultural basis for achievement: (1) teachers and parents stress educational environments conducive to learning; (2) achievement is attributed to effort, not to innate ability; and (3) group expectations and standards are considered paramount.…

Compares American educational problems to Japan's universally high literacy and achievement rate, positing that Japan's success is related to cultural homogeneity, strong school discipline, and strong motivation to succeed at all levels. Suggests that some Japanese educational strategies can be adopted in American schools, despite great…

Traces the history of kindergartens in Japan. Maintains that the Japanese government embraced the concept and modified it to encourage modernization. Includes 10 photographs of wood block prints showing how Friedrich Froebel's moral lessons were replicated in Japanese settings. (CFR)

Describes availability and purpose of Japanese kindergartens and pre-school programs. Relates Japanese child rearing practices to expectations for the child in pre-school. Summarizes typical pre-school activities and their relation to nationally stated goals which focus on successful participation in group life, cooperation, self-reliance, and…

While concerns grow regarding the possible "decline" of America's traditional work ethics, there is a growing interest in Japanese economic successes and work ethics. This study compares the work ethics of American and Japanese men. A questionnaire was designed to measure values related to America's "Protestant work ethics" and…

Examines the contribution Japan can make to major debates about development and aid. Discusses Japan's history of development and aid receipt. Argues that it is important to understand the crucial role played by Japanese cultural values. Emphasizes that the Japanese tradition of understanding knowledge is different from other aid providing…

Three papers on the outlook for second language teaching and learning introduce the conference on second language curriculum and evaluation. "My Story of Language Teaching" (Andrew Wright) describes a variety of personal and professional experiences in the course of 50 years of language teaching, each highlighting emerging social values…

A study sought to determine differences in politeness strategies used in requests by American college students (N=80), Japanese students in the United States (N=34), and Japanese students in Japan (N=103). Subjects rated 61 requests in four different situations (differing in terms of addressee level and interrogative, declarative, and imperative…

The Meiji Restoration of 1868 ended six centuries of feudal military rule by establishing a divine Emperor and clam oligarchy. Compulsory schooling and military service soon followed. Until WWII both institutions engaged in moral training that was both Confucian and nationalistic in its emphasis on absolute loyalty to the state and Emperor. The…

Draws on an ethnographic study of Japanese middle schools and other data to analyze the Japanese educational concepts of "lifestyle guidance" and "group living," which promote students' egalitarian participation in the life of the school. Examines Japanese ideals of community and participation as the basis of an alternative…

Using Lickona's framework of morality, surveys of 1,650 Japanese students and 1,240 U.S. students in grades 5-8 examined student perceptions of moral expectations at home and school and of their own behaviors. Unexpectedly, determinants of moral behavior in the two societies were essentially the same, with school providing the primary influence on…

Provides historical background for understanding social changes and the resulting problems facing Japan's schools. Topics include resistance of youth to society and its schools, the breakdown of regional communities, the impact of competition for grades, and the changing role of teachers. (JHZ)

This document explores the role played by women in the economic success of Japan in recent decades. Part 1 provides a brief history of Japan's rural legacy and describes its urbanization process. Part 2 reveals trends in the nature and extent of the economic activity of Japanese women using data on cohort age-groups at 5-year intervals beginning…

Moral education, a primary component of Japanese education, has no precise equivalent in Canadian education. The focus of moral education is development of personal attitudes and social values. The content of this discipline is a kind of secular humanism which has engendered in the postwar Japanese the values, attitudes, behaviors, and virtues…