Ideating University Reform in Japan

As is the case in many countries, university reform is a perennial topic of discussion in Japan and there is an extensive domestic literature on this topic, ranging in character from tabloid to scholarly. The purpose of this essay is to introduce some of the themes currently preoccupying Japanese authors at the more scholarly end of this spectrum. The essay reviews texts dealing with the fundamental nature of ‘Japanese’ universities, how they are managed, and their relationship with government, all with a view to identifying ways out of the gridlock of intractable problems and unworkable solutions which, as the essay explains, afflicts much of the existing literature. The essay highlights especially contributions which lack direct parallels in the international Anglophone literature on university reform, encouraging readers to explore further for themselves and initiate greater dialogue between vernacular and ‘global’ scholarly traditions.