This book examines the interplay between multicultural groups, including the majority Japanese, in the Japanese school system and will help us to understand changes occurring in contemporary Japanese society as a whole.

It is claimed that the English language teaching (ELT) profession incorporates principles of multiculturalism, tolerance, and pluralism, especially since it is viewed as a practical tool to promote intercultural exchange. However, as movements for social justice worldwide become more prevalent, some stakeholders in the field are beginning to question the field’s genuine commitment to such values. In Japan, for example, is the English language truly viewed as a practical communication tool to engage with diverse interlocutors on the global stage? Or do problematic discourses regarding the notion of the “ownership of English” and the ‘idealized speaker of English’ prevail due to the lingering dichotomy between so-called ‘non-native’ English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) and ‘native’ English-speaking teachers (NESTs) — a dichotomy that unfortunately intersects with views of ethnoracial and cultural difference, and which leads to discriminatory tendencies in pedagogical practices, educational cultures, and social structures? The overall purpose of this volume is to initiate conversations about how issues surrounding language, race, and multiculturalism currently inform pedagogical practice in English Language Teaching (ELT) in Japan. We—the editor and contributors—intend to explore these issues with the hope that the experiences and pedagogical actions documented in this volume will motivate others to reflect on current challenges, raise appreciation for diversity in ELT, and dismantle inequities.

Based on extensive original research, this book explores the early educational experiences of foreign children in Japan. It considers foreign children’s experiences of Japanese schools, examines the special tutoring such children often have to improve their language proficiency, and explores the role of mothers in encouraging their children’s education. It contrasts the experiences of foreign children with those of Japanese children and sets out the extensive difficulties foreign children encounter in becoming fully accepted by and integrated into Japanese society. The book concludes by discussing the nature of citizenship in Japan and the importance of education, including early education, in shaping Japanese citizenship.

This comprehensive, state-of-the-art reference work provides the first systematic review to date of how sociologists have studied the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality over the last thirty years in eighteen different national contexts.

This authoritative, state-of-the-art reference work builds on its first edition to provide a cutting-edge systematic review of the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality. Studying 25 different national contexts drawn from every inhabited continent on earth and building upon material from the earlier edition, the work analyses educational policies, practices and research on minority students, immigrants and refugees. The editors and contributors explore principal research traditions from countries as diverse as Argentina, China, Norway and South Africa, examining the factors promoting social cohesion as well as considerations regarding the use of international test score data. Seamlessly integrating findings of national reviews, the editors and contributors analyse how national contexts of race/ethnic relations shape the character and content of educational inequalities, and deftly map out new directions for future research in the area. Global in its perspective and definitive in content, this one-stop volume will be an indispensable reference resource for a wide range of academics, students and researchers in the fields of education, sociology, race and ethnicity studies and social policy. Chapter 20 of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at SpringerLink (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-94724-2_20)

In the twenty-first century, the concept of internationalisation remains a crucial tool for understanding the dynamics of globalising processes. It draws attention to the dimensions of conscious action in inter- and trans-national phenomena, connecting globalisation with individuals’ experience of everyday life. This book explores how internationalisation is imagined, discussed and operationalised in Japan and surrounding countries. The chapters focus on educational, leisure and cultural activities, fields which are often overlooked in favour of economic and political developments in the literature. The conclusion reflects on the concept of internationalisation and assesses how it is likely to develop in Japan in future, taking into account the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

Despite the enshrinement by the United Nations in 1948 of education as a universal human right, and despite the ideals espoused in the Education for All declaration in Dakar in 1990, it is patently clear that these ideals remain far from realized for a substantial portion of humankind. Especially at risk are vulnerable segments of society such as women, migrants, refugees, rural populations, ethnic minorities, and the financially disadvantaged. This book centres on efforts to provide education to these marginalized populations in the East and Southeast Asian region. Of particular interest are questions of financing and control. As various governments have struggled to manage the escalating costs of building schools, training teachers and educating students, the topic of public private partnerships in educational provision has assumed growing importance. The seven chapters presented here highlight a variety of partnerships among state, civil society and non-government organisations (NGOs).

The Role of English Teaching in Modern Japan examines the complex nature of Japan’s promotion of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In globalized societies where people with different native languages communicate through English, multicultural and multilinguistic interactions are widely created. This book takes the opportunity to look at Japan and examines how these multiple realities have affected its English language teaching within the domestic context. The myth of Japan’s racial and ethnic homogeneity may hinder many Japanese in recognizing realities of its own minority groups such as Ainu, Zainichi Koreans, and Brazilian Japanese, who are in the same EFL classrooms. Acknowledging a variety of English uses and users in Japan, this book emphasizes the influence of Japan’s recent domestic diversity on its EFL curriculum and urges that such changes should be addressed. It suggests new directions for incorporating multicultural perspectives in order to develop English language education in Japan and other Asian contexts where English is often taught as a foreign language. Chapters include: Social, cultural, and political background of Japan’s EFL education Race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism Representations of diversity in Japanese EFL Textbooks Perceptions of English learning and diversity in Japan The role of EFL education in multicultural Japan

This volume documents the significant changes that have occurred in Japanese schools since the collapse of that nations economic bubble. Before the recession, Japan was the country that most others sought to emulate due to its students performance on standardized tests. Now, however, a different and more complicated picture of the Japanese education system emerges. This book places Japanese education in a global context, with particular attention given to how their education system is responding to changing expectations and pressures that emerge from rapid social change. Chapters written by respected scholars examine issues related to equality, academic achievement, privatization, population diversity, societal expectations, and the influence of the media, parents, and political movements. The research in this book will provide valuable lessons for policymakers and practitioners facing similar challenges.

This book is open access under a CC BY license. This edited collection focuses on theories, language and migration in relation to multiculturalism in Japan and the Asia-Pacific. Each chapter aims to provide alternative understandings to current conflicts that have arisen due to immigration and policies related to education, politics, language, work, citizenship and identity.