ABSTRACT
American researchers have put a great deal of effort into identifying the factors responsible for Japan’s success in achieving high levels of educational attainment. To date, however, they have shown little interest in student counselling and guidance programmes. Perhaps this is because they are preconditioned to think of such efforts in Japan as routine. After all, it is commonly known that Japanese schools do not employ professionally trained guidance counsellors as do many American schools. None the less, a thorough investigation of the subject leaves no room for doubt that Japanese students receive far more social and academic counselling than Americans and that this leads to results that most Americans have never enjoyed.
