115education in Japanese is not necessarily effective because most of the detailed argu-
ments do not directly reflect the interest of international readers. An effective
approach would be to exhibit the context of higher education in Japan for an inter-
national audience, as Huang ( 2014 ) discussed in his work on the challenges of
Japanese higher education and research of Japan focusing on demographic trends
and internationalization.
In this article, the author reviews higher education research written by academics
based in Japan. The author focuses mainly on comparative research studies because
they have more direct linkages with issues and topics familiar to the international
audience. In terms of methodology, the author refers to the examinations of repre-
sentative approaches of comparative education research indicated by Bray et al.
( 2014 ). First, the author examines the development of networks, institutions, and
journals on higher education research in Japan. Second, the author identifies the
audience of higher education research in Japan and its demand for higher education
research. Third, the author examines the international context of higher education
research in Japan, with a focus on the strong Japanese interest in borrowing ideas
from developments elsewhere from various models. Finally, the author identifies the
future challenges of higher education research in Japan, particularly related to its
link to the international research community.
The Platform of Higher Education Research in Japan
Higher education research in Japan has been developed as a field that is based on the
dialogues of various stakeholders on multiple platforms, from scholarly oriented
theorists to the practitioners both in macro and micro scopes (Tsukahara 2009 ).
Here, the author identifies the major journals and associations in higher education
research in Japan, referring to the existing reviews of Japan’s higher education
research previously mentioned in this article.
The journal on higher education that has the longest history in Japan is IDE:
Contemporary Higher Education. IDE has been published as a monthly magazine
by the Institute for the Development of Higher Education since 1957, and it has a
reputation of presenting the work of a wide variety of authors, including research-
ers, policy makers, and higher education managers. International authors, mainly
higher education researchers, have also contributed through translated articles that
are relevant to the audience in Japan.
The Research Institute for Higher Education (RIHE) was established at Hiroshima
University in 1972. It was the first research institute in Japan to specifically focus on
higher education research. RIHE participated in various international projects in the
early stages of its history and has published the journal Daigaku Ronshu (Research
in Higher Education) since 1972. RIHE has also occasionally published articles and
reports in the English language, circulated them internationally, and posted them on
its website. The main focus of the research at RIHE has been on policy studies.
6 Higher Education Research in Japan: Seeking a Connection with the International...