An account of the public and private school systems in Japan and how they interact to provide widespread and widely differentiated education. The private educational sector in Japan is very large, especially at the secondary and higher levels, as a result of a political decision to limit the size of the public sector and a labour market which makes education economically attractive as a family investment. There is a description of the sources of demand and supply in historical perspective and an analysis of current differences in clientele, benefits costs, quality and efficiency between the public and private sectors. The resulting differences in education opportunities across regions and socio-economic groups are also examined. The object of the book is to understand Japanese educational policy and to derive implications for educational policy in the UISA, UK and other countries.