The Japanese education system is widely praised as a model to be emulated in western countries. In Japan, however, the system is widely criticised for its strict uniformity and for its supposed failure to train the creative minds needed for the next stage of economic advance. Twice since 1967 the Japanese government had embarked on, but then failed to see through, major reform initiatives. This book explains why the reform attempts have failed. The failure lies, the author shows, in the inability of bureaucrats, party leaders and politicians to agree. Moreover, the author goes on to argue, when these rifts develop the Japanese policy-making process becomes strangely paralysed, with no way of breaking the impasse. This immobilism’, the author argues, is not confined to education reform, but afflicts other aspects of Japanese policy-making.