How teacher candidates are recruited and the quality of those candidates in Japanese education is investigated. Chapter 1 discusses the quality of teacher candidates and looks at the higher education system, colleges of education, and the quality of students in colleges of education. Chapter 2 examines teacher preparation curricula, the certification system, and the content of teacher education curricula including required coursework and specific courses in subject matter fields. Inherent problems in teacher preparation curricula are also discussed. Chapter 3 looks at the teacher employment examination including the function of the exam, recent results, the method involved, and various inherent problems. Chapter 4 investigates the function, types and quality, and evaluation of inservice teacher training. Chapter 5 examines the socioeconomic status of teachers. Salaries and allowances for public school teachers are presented as well as a comparison between teachers' salaries and salaries of other occupations. Chapter 6 discusses the future demand for teachers, the variability of the quality of teacher candidates, and the social and educational problems affecting that quality. A six-page bibliography concludes the report. (RSL)