Noting that bullying has become very prevalent in Japanese schools, this exploratory interview study examined Japanese junior high school students' perceptions and experiences of bullying, or "ijime." Participating were 61 students randomly selected from two junior high schools in a small Japanese town. Subjects were asked to describe their perceptions of bullying, to talk about their experiences with bullying, and to explain the differences between bullying and fighting. Responses indicated that 60 percent of the students had experienced "ijime," either as a bully, a victim, or a witness. About 85 percent of students named indirect aggressive behaviors in their perceptions of bullying. Over 90 percent reported that only group-to-one harassment was considered "ijime." About 7 percent said that both group-to-one and one-to-one harassment were considered "ijime." All the students who had experienced "ijime" either as a bully or a victim said that their experience was a group-to-one case. The findings suggested that Japanese students were more likely than Western children to use indirect relational tactics, such as spreading nasty rumors and ignoring. Three characteristics of bullying among Japanese students may stem from Japan's social structure: (1) pressure to conform to group norms; (2) awareness of their roles in a group; and (3) use of relational aggression. (KB)