Japanese early childhood teachers use the "mimamoru" approach, in which teachers let children develop their sense of right and wrong in a group-oriented environment where they are accountable to others. Cultural in nature, the "mimamoru" approach is based on teachers' beliefs that children are truly autonomous beings who can learn to solve problems by themselves with little help. By reducing their own authority as adults, teachers promote children's problem-solving skills. When teachers intervene, they appeal to the group rather than to the individual, and thereby avoid doling out individual criticism. Understanding the implementation and value of this approach has universal implications for early childhood teachers striving to nurture children's problem-solving skills.