ABSTRACT
Shadow education is a prominent part of the educational landscape of Japan. In the research literature, shadow education has been discussed mainly with regard to cram schools (or juku), and their function in preparing students for university entrance exams. However, juku are no longer the only kind of shadow education in the country, and there is still little research into the various other forms of shadow education available, or the roles that these play in supplementing mainstream education at different levels of compulsory schooling. This chapter seeks to fill this gap in the research. Drawing on data from interviews conducted with both teachers and students, this chapter provides an insider perspective on the forms and functions of Japanese shadow education at the elementary, junior high, and senior high school level, and illuminates some of the roles it plays in the educational lives of students.
