Japanese Lessons: A Year in a Japanese School Through the Eyes of An American Anthropologist and Her Children (Paperback)

by Gail Benjamin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Reading, writing, and arithmetic may be a part of growing up for most people, but the methods for such training are far from universal. While in Japan as visiting scholars in 1989, Gail Benjamin and her husband enrolled their two children in a public elementary school, though neither of the kids spoke Japanese. The experience resulted in an education for both parents and children, and Japanese Lessons is a look at the differences between two cultures' educational systems. What gives the book much of its life is Benjamin's approach to the subject; an anthropologist, she is as interested in the reasons behind the differences as in the differences themselves. The methods and priorities exhibited in the classrooms reflect the cultures behind the educational systems, and her children helped her make some interesting and telling observations. For instance, collectivism is encouraged by breaking the typically large classes into smaller subgroups for discussion and problem-solving, effectively rewarding combined effort and teamwork. In this way, the Japanese learn as young children to value consensus and to emphasize the good of the whole over the good of the one, a direct contrast to the emphatic individualism so treasured in the United States. Benjamin recognizes that many of the Japanese teaching practices would not work well in the U.S., but by presenting alternatives to America's current system of public education, she has offered points to consider while granting a peek into Japanese culture. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
Gail R. Benjamin reaches beyond predictable images of authoritarian Japanese educators and automaton schoolchildren to show the advantages and disadvantages of a system remarkably different from the American one... -- The New York Times Book Review, Andrea Cooper --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814713343
• ISBN-13: 978-0814713341
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #280,626 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accurate and Detailed, August 27, 2003

By	Andrew Taber - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I teach English at two Japanese Elementary schools an hour's drive from the elementary school described in this book. I also have an American daughter in a Japanese pre-school who is headed for elementary school soon. I found this book rich in useful, practical details and perceptive analysis. In fact, as one who has studied American education I found that Gail Benjamin's weaker points arose when she described American elementary education to contrast with the Japanese elementary school. I also believe readers should be aware that many changes occur after Japanese primary education (grades 1 �E6) in the following junior high school, high school, and tertiary education. I believe the most negative aspects of a Japanese education occur AFTER the primary education. In Japanese elementary school children are relatively free spirits in the classroom compared with what follows. This uninhibited spirit is coupled with academic rigor. Gail Benjamin's book accurately and richly portrays much of Japanese elementary school experience.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars See the forest for the trees., August 12, 2003

By	Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Japanese Lessons: A Year in a Japanese School Through the Eyes of An American Anthropologist and Her Children (Hardcover)

Many books on Japan and China will try to give you everything from a history lesson to a break-down of their culture and ideals. Whole chapters are needed by the author just to define the terms he, or she, will be using. This book is nothing like that. She does not TELL us about Japanese school systems, she SHOWS us how a Japanese school works, through her eyes and the eyes of her two kids. She explains about uniforms, Sports Day, lunches, how classes are set up, how many hours a student goes to school in a year, how a class is run and so on.
The book is an easy read, full of details that other books just seem to over-look. Remember, that this is dealing with one elementary school, and does not reflect how things are done in the Senior High Schools and/or Colleges, but it does destroy a few myths I had about how the Japanese taught their children and the book was also a delight to read!
Try to get a copy, any condition. It's worth it!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this and increase your understanding about the Japanese, August 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Japanese Lessons: A Year in a Japanese School Through the Eyes of An American Anthropologist and Her Children (Hardcover)

The people of many countries are stereotyped and this is certainly true of the Japanese. Gail Benjamin's observations about her children's experiences in Japanese schools and her own participation in the process provide valuable insight into the entire behavior of the Japanese. I lived and worked in Japan for three years (with a Japanese staff for part of the time.)I would have benefitted from a better understanding of the school system. Everything I had heard was no better than second hand information from expats or Western writers with no direct experience. The overall stereotype is that Japanese teachers lecture and the students listen. The teachers are not questioned. While questioning the teachers may or may not occur the overall group emphasis and its nuances are an integral part of the Japanese society throughout life. The many variations of group activities described here (and the expected support of the parents) are not known by many Americans. I'd put this book in my Top 5 of those to read if you want to understand more about the Japanese.