ABSTRACT
There are over 750 universities in Japan. They and the government have attempted a number of reforms to improve the quality and international competitiveness of the higher education sector. This chapter aims to examine, first, the role of the Japanese government in the development and overall governance of this sector; second, major issues facing Japanese universities today; and third, the prospects for reform. The major challenges investigated include lack of diversity and internationalization, poor public funding and the resultant decline in international competitiveness as well as the negative effect of depopulation, labour market practices and government policy.
