

Japan: An Insider's Educational Experience - mattm
http://www.ranmagazine.co/an-insiders-educational-experience/

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jmadsen
While I'd like to avoid doing the same sort of generalization as the author
has done, it can be difficult.

Japanese & Western (aka, American & Canadian) cultures are very different. A
great number of people who come over here (to Japan), regardless of how long
they stay, never really absorb themselves in the way of thinking & doing
things here. They continue to live a sort of "dual life", where on one hand
they are happy enough because of all the wonderful benefits of this society,
but on the other always expect things "should be like back home" and are
somehow less developed with regards to individual "rights" & the like.

I have two children in the school system here. I have found the system to be
far more creative than any foreigner who moves here could ever anticipate, and
quite honestly, much better than what I was exposed to in America in any
category you'd care to name.

Society here teaches people to think of everyone else first before taking care
of your own needs - a lesson that wouldn't be a bad thing to rub off on
Westerners a bit more.

Aside from that, I echo all the existing posts on this guy's choice of using a
single student's experience with a single (possibly bad) teacher, despite
saying he has 15 years experience in Japan & has spoken to hundreds of
students about this.

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ZirconCode
I went to school there, also as an outsider. I completely agree, however there
is one thing he missed.

Another very large difference is the focus on memorization vs creativity. This
happens physically, aswell as mentally. In Japanese "art" classes for example,
students strive to copy what the teacher created, those who come closer, are
better. In other classes, it is mostly a work of memorizing vocabulary or
formulas. Very little goes towards thinking, at least in the early stages of
education. This trend is encouraged by their third character set, of which you
are required to know about 2000 ideograms before graduating high-school.

That being said, realize that all these traits have advantages too, sometimes
more so than in the western world, sometimes less.

EDIT: Oh, and a another important thing I would like to add. Public shaming is
used quite effectively because of these traits. Grades are for example hung
out in the hall, in a leader-board kind-of fashion.

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kristopher
Yes, Japan has its own way of developing members of society. CBC (Canadian
Broadcasting) did a very cool mini series on Japanese schools called "Children
Full of Life"[0]. At the very least, I highly recommend everyone to watch part
one.

[0] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=armP8TfS9Is>

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rikacomet
really really great video. It made me recall each moment of my life, I mean
seriously... sometimes we can learn from small kids, what we haven't
throughout our lives. Being Happy is all its about. You made my day man.

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rikacomet
The Japanese have a different style of teaching, yes.

though, I agree, that your particular student did felt what I would feel, but
as I would say, it is essentially, how you see it.

 _DONT ASK WHY ISSUE_ : As a curious kid, I used to ask many questions as
well, which I still do, and I'm still doing. But it is the timing that
matters, the teachers are humans afterall, if you interrupt too often, it
hurts others as well, specially, when exam time is near, and you have just
joined, and its no-ones fault&pain basically, that you are a bit behind.
Personally, I have been called less annoying/curious ever since I established
good timing to address this curiosity.

 _WE not ME Issue_ : Yes, we should be taught, how to think for ourself, and
also for others, so, its not a bad thing. Basically you have to be thinking
for yourself & everyone else, and make a judgement, where the first part is
understood anyway, so no one will tell you to do so, unless you are super
selfless.

 _NOT Japanese Issue_ : The teachers adapt for years, not a particular batch,
of course, over time while they are getting old and rusty, they have to
economize, they can't adjust forever. Though their approach towards
'outsiders' should be careful, they after all have built their teaching
methods, based on some pre-requisites, which in this case had been those
children story/shows references, which forms a big part of childhood for
anyone.

 _Its an illusion Issue_ : Its a question of judgement. Suppose I want a
apple, and my mother says to rethink, they know that I'm having a rare
disease, and if I eat apple(which has xyz in it) I may choke/go into seizure
or something. But since I'm 4, I can't understand that, so she says, "rethink"

Trips can be in mountaneous areas, or mostly in unknown parts of the country,
the teachers are responsible for safety of students, they can't allow you to
take a track, that leads into a unsafe environment, say one where a lot of
snakes are found.

 _the System of DO issue_ : I'm part of one of the Do systems, Karate-do. My
teacher is one of the best teachers in whole of asia, a lot of times I run
into techniques, or ways, that might deconstruct the old for new and better
ways. But that is actually not true, 90% of times.

The system of DO, emphasizes on the fact, that if you want free will, drop
out, and do it; No one is stopping you. The Do system are like rivers, that
flow continously, in the same way, for hundereds of years, and the marginal
occasional geographical shift (change) occurs over a longer period of time.
Its a tight ship, with tight roles, and it is to provide opportunity to keep
alive a certain way of doing things (DO) , over a longer period of time,
without much changes.

 _ITS the system, not the Individual Issue_ : The case you quote, is
insufficient in my view to say, what you want to say with the title. It
happens, even in west, injuries, for not following a proper procedure. Its a
harsh reality, deal with it.

 _Teachers are AFRAID Issue_ : yes, we have police for that not teachers, its
not necessary that all teachers in Japan, keep themselves out of personal
disputes, which is a good thing, as long as it doesn't turn into bullying, or
injury causing event. Great Teacher Onizuka Comic, is a worthy read for you,
if education is as of real interest to you, as you say.

 _Failure Teaches Success_ Yes, you know it my friend, that you have not quite
well integrated into the Japanese way. Your failure, has taught you the
benefits of being a "Outfit" in Japan, at the cost of knowing benefits of
living by the Japanese way. The point is, how can you live both lives, and
achieve greater * ENLIGHTENMENT*

Failure teachers you success, but not every success, you have to go back,
fail, and learn, fail and learn.. like Yin and Yang in a circle.

PS: No offense, but I find it ironic, that you call yourself a Insider, yet
you feel like a Outsider in Japan. But yes, I appreciate that you shared your
experience. Much appreciated.

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peterwwillis
"The" "quotation" "marks" "are" "driving" "me" "insane" "!!!!"

A lot of the things he points out are not specific to Japan. For example,
American schools have the same requirement to show work and not just the
answer for a math problem. The other examples can also be chocked up to the
specific teacher or environment, or basic tenants of modern education systems
(ex. making students obedient to authority)

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anonymous
Half his examples start with "my student", which also makes me highly
suspicious - one student does not make a representative statistical sample.

One can also just look at the media being produced in Japan to see that they
too value and admire characters that rebel, go against the grain and question
the status quo in their books and movies. They're obviously a different
culture, but you can't abstract away their difference with some high-level
statement like "more obedience"; it's subtler than that.

~~~
mattm
The article is titled "An Insider's Educational Experience" so it is mostly
based on one student's experiences.

Living here in Japan now, I sometimes wonder how my life and beliefs would be
different had I grown up and gone through the education system here. Since
it's impossible to go back and re-do that, the next best thing is to get the
impressions from people that have gone through another education system and
the Japanese one because they can easily compare the two systems.

