A View of Japanese Socialisation through a study of its Kindergarten practices

A View of Japanese Socialisation through a study of its Kindergarten practices




A fundamental part of this study is to observe the ‘yoochien’, which is the literal equivalent of the western worlds ‘kindergarten’. The institution’s main aim is to provide a learning process that imparts Japanese social skills to children. Investigative studies of this topic disprove the strict military conventions that I had previously believed to dominate Japanese schooling. Yoochien’s preoccupations are to develop;
1. The underpinning of a sound body and mind and the attitudes needed for a safe and happy life.
2. Morality, a trust in and affection for other people.
3. An interest, concern and respect for the natural world.
4. An interest and enjoyment of learning language.
5. A creative, emotional character.
(Monbusho, 1989)

I believe that, universally and acros...