The book consists of the major background documents which the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) used in 1970 to examine the Japanese educational policy at all school levels. The reports, which form the major part of the book, were prepared by the Planning and Research Department of the Ministry of Education of Japan. They use extensive historical data and current surveys and analyses as a basis for examining three aspects of Japanese educational policy: 1) the national and social demand for school education and educational opportunities; 2) the content, pedagogical methods, and other qualitative concerns of Japanese education; and 3) the distribution of expenditure on education. Included in the annexes are policy documents of the Central Council for Education of Japan entitled "The Master Plans for the Reform of Primary and Secondary Education and of Higher Education." (Author/RM)