ABSTRACT
Contrasts between Japan and the United States have their roots in widely different cultural heritages. The Japanese educational tradition was irrevocably marked by its absorption of the literature and language of China— which Japan adapted to its own special cultural and aesthetic requirements— from the fourth to the seventh century. The establishment of terakoya, or temple schools, which flourished during the Tokugawa period, marked the beginning of formal education in Japan. Japan’s climate is relatively mild and the rainfall abundant, although startling contrasts abound. The Japanese have a special attitude toward the human as a valuable resource to himself and to his community. Striving and achievement are deeply embedded in the Japanese psyche. The Japanese have long been fascinated by the distant and the exotic. Japan, like the United States, has known the phenomenon of youth in revolt.
