"Rohten has demonstrated that traditional anthropological method and theory can be adjusted to the analysis of complex organizations. The book provides a holistic perspective of a Japanese bank and its more than 3,000 employees. Methodologically, Rohlen analyzed this bank in much the same fashion as he would have carried out the study of a small community. Eleven months of participant observation within the bank and among its employees after work provided the major source of data...Possibly the most important finding of the study is that despite surface similarities with banks throughout the world, the Japanese have evolved an institution which is radically different. This bank, like many modern Japanese businesses, is organized to secure a common livelihood and way of life for its employees ...more than the best cultural analysis of a Japanese business, for the book also contributes to the fields of Japanese cultural change and modernization process essential reading." (American Anthropologist). "The account is adorned with an unusually rich selection of illustration from the speeches of firm officers, company records and documents, and of course extensive observations from employees ...As a case study of a single Japanese organization, For Harmony and Strength is a superb effort that penetrates deeper than any other book in the English language." (Contemporary Sociology). "A first-rate contribution to the literature in applied anthropology and comparative and cross-cultural management for the insights it provides on management of white-collar employees in Japan." (Industrial and Labor Relations Review). "A well-written, thoroughly researched study of the internal life of a single Japanese organization. Unlike most previous writers, Aohlen deals with the separate recruitment, work, and leisure patterns of the bank's women employees. As an anthropologist he has particular sensitivity to the ritual meanings of bank songs, ceremonies, and extensive training activities ...one of the best analyses to date of how Japanese organization works." (Library Journal). "What emerges from Rohlen's convincing and penetrating analysis is a picture of a thoroughly 'Japanese' business organization deeply imbued with Japanese cultural values ...in its sensitivity to cultural meanings and in its analytical coherence in the presentation of data, this book is a model of scholarship matched by few ethnographies. It will be consulted by those specializing in Japan, those interested in organizational behavior, and those interested in seeing 'the meanings of fundamental matters, ' for a long time to come." (Journal of Asian Studies).

In this insightful collection, DeCoker and his colleagues explore the implications of a national U.S. curriculum through the study of Japanese education. The authors suggest that the U.S. educational system lacks certain organizational mechanisms that support student achievement and would facilitate teacher involvement in the educational reform process. Presenting important implications for American education, this volume features:

-- A comprehensive look at national standards in Japan, from their development at the Ministry of Education to their implementation in the classroom.

-- A highly regarded group of U.S. and Japanese scholars who provide well-written, jargon-free text appropriate for many audiences.

-- Detailed descriptions and intriguing analyses of education policy, textbooks and other curricular materials, professional development, and the relationship between the public and private sectors in Japan and the United States.

-- An epilogue by Thomas Rohlen containing his analysis of educational reform efforts in both countries, his description of the symbiotic relationship between the two educational systems, and his predictions for the future of public education as technological change and global market capitalism extend private sector initiatives beyond national borders.

In this important work, major scholars on Japan draw on ethnographic and experimental studies of learning throughout the lifespan to explore the Japanese style of learning. The reader will get an inside view of Japanese teaching methods, where the emphasis is on the process of learning, rather than the end product. In Japan, applications across contexts--from religion to music, to mathematics, to guidance are very differently handled than in the West. Contributors analyze various models of learning within and without the Japanese school system. The examples considered here allow the reader to understand better the rich coherence and variety of educational experiences in the broader social context. A carefully articulated introduction and conclusion by the editors provide salient comparisons of East and West and cautions that we do not simplify our model of either one. Teaching and Learning in Japan will be of interest to educators, Japan scholars, and to educational psychologists.

"...Rohlen's book achieves exciting conjectural stances while providing us with rich and trustworthy substantive data and description. His treatment of schools as 'moral communities,' his call for new, culturally sensitive definitions of moral and creative goals in children's education, his interest in the consensus between parent, school, and society which underlies effective schooling are reason alone why this book should be read by anyone interested in the context and future of any educational system ...A splendid book for non-specialists, as well as for policymakers ..." (Merry T. White, The Review of Education). "Rohlen uses education as the entering wedge for a good understanding of Japanese society in general. That the author was sensitive to and appreciative of Japanese ways is evident throughout." (Eloise Lee Leiterman, Christian Science Monitor). "Never have I encountered a work on modem Japan which so skillfully captures what is intrinsically unique about the society. Indeed, Rohlen proves that comparative education need not be a litany of lifeless facts." (Linda Joffe, London Times Educational Supplement). "On the basis of fourteen months of fieldwork in five Japanese high schools, the author integrates observation of the schools themselves with discussion of their relationships to higher education and society at large...Rowen's conclusions offer insightful contributions to the current debate on secondary education in the United States." (Harvard Educational Review). "The best introduction for many a year into the cultural mainsprings of Japanese society, the principles of its organization, and the way its citizens think and feel." (Ronald P. Dore, Journal of Japanese Studies).

In this important work, major scholars on Japan draw on ethnographic and experimental studies of learning throughout the lifespan to explore the Japanese style of learning. The reader will get an inside view of Japanese teaching methods, where the emphasis is on the process of learning, rather than the end product. In Japan, applications across contexts--from religion to music, to mathematics, to guidance are very differently handled than in the West. Contributors analyze various models of learning within and without the Japanese school system. The examples considered here allow the reader to understand better the rich coherence and variety of educational experiences in the broader social context. A carefully articulated introduction and conclusion by the editors provide salient comparisons of East and West and cautions that we do not simplify our model of either one. Teaching and Learning in Japan will be of interest to educators, Japan scholars, and to educational psychologists.