Page 21 - Japanese Growth and Education: 演講人：Motohisa Kaneko教授

Japan’s Development and Education - Past, Present and Future -c121

competition and prepare for the future at early ages.

But such logic of persuasion has now lost its ground when the economic
growth made it possible for the majority of population to achieve the living
standards of typical middle class.

Meanwhile, Japan is anticipating a drastic demographic shift. Birth rate
has started a significant decline in the 1980’s, resulting in contraction of college
going population old in the latter half of the 1990’s and towards the first decade

st
of the 21 century. The size of 18-year old will decrease from more than 200
million in 1990 to about 110 million by 2020. Because the enrollment capacity
of higher education institutions even expanded, the supply of college education
has exceeded the demand. Consequently, many non-selective institutions are in

effect no longer screen entrants through examination.
The competition over admission in more selective institutions remains,

but even that is losing its grip. Responding to these environmental shifts, many
colleges - private or national – are now reducing the number of required subjects
to be covered in entrance examination.

Economic environment

Meanwhile, industrial and professional structures are changing with the
advent of new generation of technology-intensive products, global mobility

of production and capital. Japan’s economic growth had been spearheaded by
large-scale corporations in heavy/chemical and machinery industries. Due to the
emergence of information processing technology and biotechnology, innovative

products were developed by relatively small venture capitals rather than by large
manufacturers. The high-birth and high-mortality business model would require
educated workers who would tolerate high risk and high return, and would not

be confined to large corporations.