Japan

In Japan, education is taken very seriously, but because of their social structure, the number of students who can enter the field is very limited, therefore competitive. The numbers have gradually risen from the 1950’s, being only a couple students, to the present, being around 180 students. The adding of more courses in clinical psychology is presumably to blame for the increased interest. Although students may take classes in clinical psychology, which was combined with educational psychology up until 1990, the Japanese still cannot hold a degree in the subject. Some think that Japan’s heightened interest stems from attacks on the country in 1995 that introduced them to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since the growth of psychology, the number of research projects going on at this time is incredible. Professors at Kyoto University are attempting to understand mental functions using experiments, field studies, and clinical ideas. The Ochanomizu Women’s University is interested in studying humans during their lifespan, including cultural and social factors that can affect the transition between stages in life. At the Hokkaido University, they want to develop an international center for understanding societies and cultures. Those are just to name a few that were run by the Center of Excellence (COE) program, made to promote strengthening educational research in Japan. As stated earlier, only a select group of students can enter into the psychology field in Japan, but adding upwards of 180 psychologists to the nation every year means that the numbers now are amazing. The JPA has a list of ethical principles that psychologists much follow in order to retain their license. The document lists awareness of responsibility, respect for rights, explanation, confidentiality, and public statements. During the Edo era, Japan was completely isolated from the rest of the world, only trading with China and Holland because the Tokugawa Shogunate was afraid of the spread of Christianity. This isolation lasted until 1853 when the United States invaded. 15 years later, that era ended and the Japanese craved the western world. Up until this point in history, only 15 universities had psychology chairs and even less researchers. The first book of Psychology was not published in 1875, and was metaphysical based. In 1927, the Japanese Psychological Association was founded and became their first organization for research. The JPA now has over 7000 members. The first Japanese psychologist was Y. Motora. He studied philosophy at Boston University, and then moved to John Hopkins University to study psychology. Motora and Hall, his professor, had a paper published in 1887 on skin sensitivity. He returned to Japan after receiving his doctorate in 1888 to teach psychophysics at what is now Tokyo University. He planted the seed for modern psychology in Japan. He opened his first psychology laboratory in 1903. After Morota’s death, Matsumoto, a student of his, surpassed him by studying at Yale and then going on to study with Wundt. He opened the next laboratory in 1906, and 8 others were put in to place before the 1920’s.

// Ethical Principles of Psychologists //. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2010, from The Japanese Psychological Association: http://www.psych.or.jp/english/ethical.html Tatsuya Sato, Y. F. (2005). Psychology in Japan. //The Psychologist//, 156-157.