ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the theories of modernism and postmodernism and their relevance to understanding a nation's system of higher education. It considers the modernist structure of Japanese higher education and the problems it poses for Japans future development. In the authors assessment of Japanese education, they use the postmodern concept of "cognitive mapping" to help understand the role culture plays in defining the place of higher education in contemporary Japanese society. The chapter presents a critical analysis of the reform efforts in Japanese education, and offers some comparative perspectives on the future of Japans higher education. It also considers the problems inherent in modernistic change and the implications for the future development of Japanese higher education. Traditionally, formal education in Japan served to educate either the ruling samurai or the common people. The foundational element of formal Japanese education was a dual system for the samurai leadership and the common people.
