[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"siteSettings":3,"post-education-in-japan-and-italy-by-dario":24},{"data":4,"sourceMap":-1},{"headerPages":5,"settings":9},[6],{"slug":7,"title":8},"about","About",{"contactEmail":10,"faviconUrl":11,"heroDescription":12,"heroImage":13,"heroTitle":18,"ogImageUrl":19,"seoDescription":20,"seoTitle":21,"siteAuthor":22,"siteName":21,"socialLinks":23},"matsushita_sei@kindai.ac.jp","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.sanity.io\u002Fimages\u002Fzbxc2ul2\u002Fproduction\u002Fbd8e5c871dc32af558af4cdabe8efda12a8066c1-32x32.png","Share your stories, thoughts, and insights while studying at Kindai University, Osaka, Japan.",{"_type":14,"asset":15},"image",{"_ref":16,"_type":17},"image-e5476b326a4484e8c912f842b742f8be4de00edf-2993x1995-jpg","reference","Go Global.","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.sanity.io\u002Fimages\u002Fzbxc2ul2\u002Fproduction\u002Fc032be9c0b341a63d784449e3db69c83fdb2b4c0-2848x1504.jpg","This is an English-language media platform run by students and staff at Kindai University in Osaka, Japan. Here, exchange students and local students share stories, reflections, and insights about campus life and their experiences in Japan.","Kindai Global Media","Global Education Center, Kindai University",null,{"data":25,"sourceMap":-1},{"_id":26,"author":27,"body":33,"group":144,"image":23,"imageUrl":23,"publishedAt":148,"title":149,"visibility":150},"zqObMY4AZ2PLBMUzA4OIWK",{"avatar":23,"description":28,"fullName":29,"name":29,"slug":30},"","Dario ",{"_type":31,"current":32},"slug","2697303042g-w2mr",[34,57,65,73,81,89,97,105,120,128,136],{"_key":35,"_type":36,"children":37,"markDefs":52,"style":56},"74ba80cf7b22","block",[38,43,48],{"_key":39,"_type":40,"marks":41,"text":42},"74ba80cf7b220","span",[],"In our previous look at how Japanese schools work and what their students experience, a major difference stands out when compared to Italy. This difference is how common cram schools are. In Italy, cram schools are very rare, and students usually only go to specialized classes to study for foreign language exams. While private, one-on-one tutoring does exist, it is not as popular as it is in Japan. Instead of using tutors to get ahead for competitive exams, Italian students mostly use them for extra help. Private lessons are mainly taken when a student is at risk of failing a class or needs to catch up after already failing ",{"_key":44,"_type":40,"marks":45,"text":47},"74ba80cf7b221",[46],"b203e54602b2","one.In",{"_key":49,"_type":40,"marks":50,"text":51},"74ba80cf7b222",[]," Japan, after-school tutoring programs are incredibly popular. This system is often called \"shadow education,\" and it exists mostly because of Japan's highly competitive, test-focused school system (Bray, 1999). These private cram schools, known as juku and yobiko, are deeply built into Japanese society for several cultural, educational, and practical reasons.",[53],{"_key":46,"_type":54,"href":55},"link","http:\u002F\u002Fone.In","normal",{"_key":58,"_type":36,"children":59,"markDefs":64,"style":56},"12eba4d11428",[60],{"_key":61,"_type":40,"marks":62,"text":63},"12eba4d114280",[],"The main reason for this is the intense pressure of entrance exams, known in Japanese as juken. In many Western countries, schools look at a student's overall grades, clubs, and personal essays. However, getting into a Japanese high school or college depends almost entirely on passing difficult standardized tests (Allen, 2016). Because graduating from a top university usually guarantees a stable job at a major company, students start studying for these exams years in advance (Entrich, 2018).",[],{"_key":66,"_type":36,"children":67,"markDefs":72,"style":56},"4a258ff1b8e8",[68],{"_key":69,"_type":40,"marks":70,"text":71},"4a258ff1b8e80",[],"This creates a big gap between what regular schools teach and what the exams actually ask for. Public schools have to follow a strict national curriculum at a normal pace. However, university exams often test advanced topics and tricky questions that regular teachers do not have time to cover. Cram schools fill this gap by training students specifically on how to pass these hard tests with practice drills and test-taking strategies (Roesgaard, 2006).",[],{"_key":74,"_type":36,"children":75,"markDefs":80,"style":56},"d9f965cad1bb",[76],{"_key":77,"_type":40,"marks":78,"text":79},"d9f965cad1bb0",[],"Going to cram school is also a normal part of growing up in Japan. Because the vast majority of students go to a juku after regular classes, it creates a lot of peer pressure. Students who do not attend often worry about falling behind their classmates academically or missing out on social time with friends.",[],{"_key":82,"_type":36,"children":83,"markDefs":88,"style":56},"6014e5f5eb1b",[84],{"_key":85,"_type":40,"marks":86,"text":87},"6014e5f5eb1b0",[],"It helps to know that there are two main types of these schools. Juku are general tutoring centers for all ages that help students either catch up or get ahead. On the other hand, yobiko are intense prep schools meant only for university exams. They are mostly filled with ronin—students who did not pass their college exams on the first try and are taking a full year off just to study and try again.",[],{"_key":90,"_type":36,"children":91,"markDefs":96,"style":56},"f560d2c407ef",[92],{"_key":93,"_type":40,"marks":94,"text":95},"f560d2c407ef0",[],"Finally, cram schools serve a practical purpose for families. With more households having both parents working, evening cram schools give children a safe, supervised place to study while their parents finish work and commute home.",[],{"_key":98,"_type":36,"children":99,"markDefs":104,"style":56},"d1d7953f56d2",[100],{"_key":101,"_type":40,"marks":102,"text":103},"d1d7953f56d20",[],"References",[],{"_key":106,"_type":36,"children":107,"markDefs":118,"style":56},"978cbab3943b",[108,112],{"_key":109,"_type":40,"marks":110,"text":111},"978cbab3943b0",[],"Allen, D. (2016). Japanese cram schools and entrance exam washback. The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 3(1), 54–71. ",{"_key":113,"_type":40,"marks":114,"text":117},"978cbab3943b1",[115,116],"1f61bcc77212","strong","https:\u002F\u002Fcaes.hku.hk\u002Fajal\u002Findex.php\u002Fajal\u002Farticle\u002Fview\u002F338",[119],{"_key":115,"_type":54,"href":117},{"_key":121,"_type":36,"children":122,"markDefs":127,"style":56},"01cae58cb199",[123],{"_key":124,"_type":40,"marks":125,"text":126},"01cae58cb1990",[],"Bray, M. (1999). The shadow education system: Private tutoring and its implications for planners. UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning.",[],{"_key":129,"_type":36,"children":130,"markDefs":135,"style":56},"604605ffaaaf",[131],{"_key":132,"_type":40,"marks":133,"text":134},"604605ffaaaf0",[],"Entrich, S. R. (2018). Shadow education and social inequalities in Japan: Evolving patterns and perceptions. Springer.",[],{"_key":137,"_type":36,"children":138,"markDefs":143,"style":56},"1bd05ef82c5b",[139],{"_key":140,"_type":40,"marks":141,"text":142},"1bd05ef82c5b0",[],"Roesgaard, M. H. (2006). Japanese education and the cram school business: Functions, challenges and perspectives of the juku. NIAS Press.",[],{"name":145,"slug":146},"Intercultural Dimensions & Understanding (Fall 2026)",{"_type":31,"current":147},"intercultural-dimensions-and-understanding-f2026","2026-10-24T00:59:37.100Z","Education in Japan and Italy by Dario","private"]