It is an open question to what extent young people in Japan leaving educational institutions at various levels for their first job have the knowledge of the labor market, occupational choices open to them, and their own individual occupational talents. The objective of this paper is to study the structure of the supply of occupational and labor market information, the availability of such information to young people who are leaving educational institutions for the labor market, and the efficiency of the current system of providing such information. Contents include: school system in Japan; the level of schooling of the Japanese youths; occupational education in the formal schooling; signs of changes in the school system; institutional framework of placement of school leavers; career counseling and placement procedures of junior and senior high school leavers; and occupational counseling and placement procedures in junior high schools, senior high schools, and colleges. (BZ)