Kaori H. Okano is Professor in Asian Studies/Japanese, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

This volume provides an integrated view of how learning in Japan occurs outside of schools, from kindergarten to universities for the elderly. It explores how migrants and indigenous minorities cope with public schooling through non-formal means, and offers a rare look at the role that religious organizations sometimes play in Japanese society. -- Professor Gerald Le Tendre, Pennsylvania State UniversityNon-formal education is often a neglected area of scholarly investigation. Yet, it occupies significant space and importance in everyday life in our contemporary society, providing all generations with alternative learning opportunities. This book will be a unique contribution that highlights the interface between formal and non-formal education and provides readers with multilayered understanding of learning in post-industrial Japan. -- Professor Ryuko Kubota, University of British ColumbiaOverall, this book provides an excellent overview of nonformal education in Japan, describing in detail the history, policy, and background of various programs as well as positive effects they have had on participants and/ or the community at large. It also delves into challenges programs have faced, in terms of government policy limitations or how a lack of funding has curtailed projects or forced creative solutions. For these reasons, I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to anyone with an interest in various types of nonformal schooling, including scholars in the fields of social or comparative education (especially with a focus on Japan or East Asia), future participants or would-be volunteers, and finally, parents who might benefit from a detailed description and background information on aspects of their child’s education. -- Robert J. Werner, JALT Journal

• 1. Nonformal education in Japan: Its interface with formal schools 2. The homework club and beyond: A civil society group’s quest to build a place for learning and belonging in a time of migration 3. The importance of nonformal education in the success of Dôwa Education 4. Community based after-school care programs in Japan: Potential of non-formal education for children and residents 5. Homo Athleticus: The Educational Roles of Extracurricular Clubs in Japanese Schools 6. Alternative Schools: An Educational Safety-net for Long-term Absent Students 7. The changing relationship between ‘schools for foreigners’ and formal schools 8. Education and training for the intercultural competence of Japanese university graduates: Policy, practice and markets in informal education 9. Kōminkan: Its Roles in Education and Community-Building 10. Lifelong learning universities in the ageing society: Empowering the elderly

Kaori H. Okano is Professor in Asian Studies/Japanese, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

This volume provides an integrated view of how learning in Japan occurs outside of schools, from kindergarten to universities for the elderly. It explores how migrants and indigenous minorities cope with public schooling through non-formal means, and offers a rare look at the role that religious organizations sometimes play in Japanese society. -- Professor Gerald Le Tendre, Pennsylvania State UniversityNon-formal education is often a neglected area of scholarly investigation. Yet, it occupies significant space and importance in everyday life in our contemporary society, providing all generations with alternative learning opportunities. This book will be a unique contribution that highlights the interface between formal and non-formal education and provides readers with multilayered understanding of learning in post-industrial Japan. -- Professor Ryuko Kubota, University of British ColumbiaOverall, this book provides an excellent overview of nonformal education in Japan, describing in detail the history, policy, and background of various programs as well as positive effects they have had on participants and/ or the community at large. It also delves into challenges programs have faced, in terms of government policy limitations or how a lack of funding has curtailed projects or forced creative solutions. For these reasons, I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to anyone with an interest in various types of nonformal schooling, including scholars in the fields of social or comparative education (especially with a focus on Japan or East Asia), future participants or would-be volunteers, and finally, parents who might benefit from a detailed description and background information on aspects of their child’s education. -- Robert J. Werner, JALT Journal

• 1. Nonformal education in Japan: Its interface with formal schools 2. The homework club and beyond: A civil society group’s quest to build a place for learning and belonging in a time of migration 3. The importance of nonformal education in the success of Dôwa Education 4. Community based after-school care programs in Japan: Potential of non-formal education for children and residents 5. Homo Athleticus: The Educational Roles of Extracurricular Clubs in Japanese Schools 6. Alternative Schools: An Educational Safety-net for Long-term Absent Students 7. The changing relationship between ‘schools for foreigners’ and formal schools 8. Education and training for the intercultural competence of Japanese university graduates: Policy, practice and markets in informal education 9. Kōminkan: Its Roles in Education and Community-Building 10. Lifelong learning universities in the ageing society: Empowering the elderly

Kaori H. Okano is Professor in Asian Studies/Japanese, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

This volume provides an integrated view of how learning in Japan occurs outside of schools, from kindergarten to universities for the elderly. It explores how migrants and indigenous minorities cope with public schooling through non-formal means, and offers a rare look at the role that religious organizations sometimes play in Japanese society. -- Professor Gerald Le Tendre, Pennsylvania State UniversityNon-formal education is often a neglected area of scholarly investigation. Yet, it occupies significant space and importance in everyday life in our contemporary society, providing all generations with alternative learning opportunities. This book will be a unique contribution that highlights the interface between formal and non-formal education and provides readers with multilayered understanding of learning in post-industrial Japan. -- Professor Ryuko Kubota, University of British ColumbiaOverall, this book provides an excellent overview of nonformal education in Japan, describing in detail the history, policy, and background of various programs as well as positive effects they have had on participants and/ or the community at large. It also delves into challenges programs have faced, in terms of government policy limitations or how a lack of funding has curtailed projects or forced creative solutions. For these reasons, I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to anyone with an interest in various types of nonformal schooling, including scholars in the fields of social or comparative education (especially with a focus on Japan or East Asia), future participants or would-be volunteers, and finally, parents who might benefit from a detailed description and background information on aspects of their child’s education. -- Robert J. Werner, JALT Journal

• 1. Nonformal education in Japan: Its interface with formal schools 2. The homework club and beyond: A civil society group’s quest to build a place for learning and belonging in a time of migration 3. The importance of nonformal education in the success of Dôwa Education 4. Community based after-school care programs in Japan: Potential of non-formal education for children and residents 5. Homo Athleticus: The Educational Roles of Extracurricular Clubs in Japanese Schools 6. Alternative Schools: An Educational Safety-net for Long-term Absent Students 7. The changing relationship between ‘schools for foreigners’ and formal schools 8. Education and training for the intercultural competence of Japanese university graduates: Policy, practice and markets in informal education 9. Kōminkan: Its Roles in Education and Community-Building 10. Lifelong learning universities in the ageing society: Empowering the elderly