This book examines how the Japanese learn to work by exploring the following topics: common assumptions about vocational education and training (VET) that Japan brings into question; Japan's general education system and the moral quality and prestige status of the teaching and learning process; screening processes within Japan's education system and different attitudes toward vocational education in rural and urban areas; vocational streams in the mainline formal education system (the secondary level, specializations, technical high schools, teaching and assessment of practical subjects, commercial high schools, formal qualifications, colleges of technology, junior colleges, universities, university-industry liaison, overall standards); postsecondary, nonuniversity VET (Ministry of Labour system, Ministry of Health nursing schools, central and local government provision, private training schools, placement of graduates, public assistance); training in enterprises (lifetime employment and training, off-the-job lecture courses, nonformal in-firm training, correspondence courses, enterprise-operated qualification systems); standards and qualifications (skill testing, skill testing bodies, qualification examinations run by the central government, nonofficial qualifications); public expenditure on VET (budgets and priorities); and policies and prospects (policy coordination, consultation and research, recent trends). The book contains 91 references and 32 tables/figures. Appended is the 1994 Ministry of Education budget of vocational education. (MN)