LONDON -- A three-week visit to Japan in October left me somewhat more optimistic about the Japanese scene than I was six months or a year ago. Why? There seemed to be a greater recognition that Japan had to change if its economy were not only to deliver continued prosperity to the Japanese people but also to contribute effectively to the world economy. There was not yet a consensus on the nature and extent of the changes required, but it seemed to be recognized that changes would need to be deep and fairly radical.
The main areas of concern can be summarized as follows.
One fundamental problem is Japan's education system. Much has been written about Japanese rote-teaching methods and the practice of cramming to get into the best universities. Educators have also deplored the failure of universities to teach young people to think for themselves. Sadly, while the problem is increasingly recognized, I found little evidence that anything was being done to effect radical changes in education.