Japanese Special Education

Abstract

The quality of Japan's educational system has contributed to increasingly successful bids for dominance in international business and industry. Although the quality of Japanese education for average and above average students has received considerable international attention, there has been little discussion of programmes for handicapped children. This paper reviews the development of Japanese policies and services for the handicapped, and considers the importance of the differences in cultural contexts that would account for the differences between special education policies and practices in Japan and the United States. Although western countries have often stimulated and influenced Japanese policies and practices, substantial differences exist. It may be more accurate to consider that instead of lagging behind the West, Japanese special education is following a course of development that is adapted to the society it serves.