The report on the status of Japanese language teaching in Australia gives a broad view of Japanese study and discusses current educational issues in some detail. An introductory chapter offers a brief overview of the history, objectives, and issues of Japanese language instruction in Australia. The second chapter details features of instructional programs at each level (elementary, secondary, higher, technical, and continuing education) and in ethnic schools. Chapter 3 looks at qualitative changes in Japanese language instruction in the last three decades, including shifts from grammar translation method to audiolingual and post-audiolingual methodology, language teaching to interaction teaching, later to earlier introduction, native to contact situations, general to specialized courses, classroom to external learning, and teaching acquisition skills to what was traditionally viewed as passive learners to teaching active, creative learners. The fourth chapter provides information on the characteristics and training of Japanese language teachers at all levels. Chapter 5 summarizes research on secondary school students' motivation for Japanese study, and chapter 6 reports a study of the career goals and anticipated language use of university Japanese program graduates. The final chapter discusses specific issues in language instruction, including testing, curriculum development, professional associations and other organizational support, the Japanese community in Australia, and tourism. Enrollment data, a list of higher education institutions teaching Japanese in Australia in 1992, and a language study questionnaire are appended. Contains 112 references. (MSE)