Japan: Taboo of Failure (1999)

Overview

In Japan, where even kindergarten has an entrance exam, education begins in the womb. In this program, social psychologist Dr. Masao Miyamoto, author of Straitjacket Society; Dr. Makoto Shichida, founder of Shichida Children's Academy; the president of Keio University; and others address the true price of making the grade in a society in which only the most intelligent can thrive-or in some cases even survive. Set against the backdrop of an 11-year-old girl's nervous breakdown, topics include the fear of failing, the perceived value of conformity, school violence, and adolescent suicide.