Japanese Education

The Japanese educational system has become an object of growing dissatisfaction among Japanese students and parents, due to its suppression of intellectual creativity and its elitist examination process, and some Japanese educators are looking at the American system of higher education as a model of a viable alternative. According to Nicholas J. Haiducek, although the current efforts to develop branch schools of American colleges and universities in Japan are consistent with Japan's penchant for borrowing and adapting information and technology, Japanese and American expectations concerning the goals of these endeavors differ greatly and thereby constitute significant obstacles to their success. By outlining the historical facts and the ideological motivations that define the Japanese educational climate and the American perspective, this work increases awareness of the conflicting purposes at work and tries to stimulate informed communication between the two countries.

The study examines America's current educational presence in Japan by placing it within the historical framework of previous Japanese efforts to accumulate knowledge. The analysis then proceeds to discuss Japanese and American cross-purposes within the Japanese educational system, demonstrating why certain programs are not feasible in Japan and emphasizing the necessity for American program developers to accurately evaluate the nature of Japan's educational needs. The success of joint Japanese and American initiatives through the development of more effective programs seems within reach. The study concludes with an encouraging look at the economic feasibility of these ventures for both countries and the humanitarian implications of such international cooperation.

Nicholas J. Haiducek was recently awarded a PhD in education from the University of New Mexico. He brings to this study several years of experience as a language consultant, cross-cultural counselor and Director of Education at Tokyo American College in Japan. He is currently an education advisor to a major Japanese corporation.