The educational systems and requirements of Japan and Kentucky are compared in seven different areas. The first area compares total instruction days and illustrates the differences with a chart. Kentucky requires 175 days of instruction while Japan requires 240 days. Because of this Japanese students spend 150 to 300 more hours per year in school than Kentucky students. The second area describes the "Juku" or private tutoring system. Besides the fact that Japanese students spend more hours in school, 60% of public and 90% of private school students enroll in relatively inexpensive private tutoring sessions after school to prepare for school entrance examinations. The third area of comparison is the mathematics requirements of Japan and Kentucky. An outstanding U.S. high school in Kentucky offers courses in algebra (two levels), geometry, and calculus while a typical Japanese high school offers algebra, geometry, basic analysis, differential and integral calculus, and probability and statistics. The course offerings plus time spent in the classroom account for the difference in U.S. and Japanese mathematics test scores. The fourth area describes the foreign language requirements which Japanese students must take from grade seven until graduation. English is mandatory and the student is allowed to choose between French, German, or Spanish as the second language. The fifth area describes parent and teacher involvement in Japanese schools. Japanese society respects scholars and believes that education is the only means to a successful career. Therefore, parents sacrifice for their children's education and do not complain when their child is disciplined in school. Area six compares the teacher-student ratio which is 1 to 15 in Japan and 1 to 30 in Kentucky. The seventh area reviews Japanese legislation which has raised the rank and salary of all public teachers and college professors. (APG)