The effects of Japan's decentralization of public and junior colleges and private education subsidy policy on enrollment rates and trends in urban and provincial areas are examined, and disparities likely to occur between regions are discussed. (MSE)

Examines the experiences of Japanese "returnees," native Japanese who have returned to Japan after an extended stay abroad, focusing on the linguistic and cultural challenges faced by ethnic Japanese children and adolescents who must reacculturate themselves in Japan. (33 references) (MDM)

Japan's economic success is clear evidence that purposeful investments in the educational quality of the work force pay major dividends in terms of enhanced productivity and increased competitiveness. The key elements of the Japanese system are, in fact, less than 40 years old. The current recession is a reminder of the transitory nature of…