The recent restructuring of higher education in Japan has been carried out in the context of neo-liberalism with an emphasis on the unbridled workings of market forces. However, civic discourse on issues such as active citizenship and social inclusion/exclusion, which is significant to higher education as a democratic public sphere, has been left…

The tradition of Japanese education places a high priority on school credentials and limited access to higher education, inhibiting wider participation of adults in lifelong learning. The necessity for continuous updating of knowledge and skills requires that the school-centered system be changed. (SK)