118
study of higher education systems by Clark ( 1983 ) was translated by Arimoto in
1994 and has had influence among higher education researchers as a classic.
Hashimoto ( 2008 ), who conducted a critical analysis of the policy formation pro-
cess regarding the training of medical doctors throughout Japanese universities,
presents a representative example in that he developed his original framework partly
based on Clark’s triangle (academics, the state, and the market) of coordination.
The last yet still important audience is represented by international organizations
and researchers outside Japan. When they want to conduct a comparative study or
analyze the Japanese education system, they need information and ideas from
researchers and experts in the field of higher education (see, e.g., the works of James
and Benjamin 1988 ; Pempel 1978 ; Hazelkorn 2011 ). On the other hand, in the
Japanese Journal of Higher Education Research (published by JAHER), research-
ers from other countries contribute articles on international trends in higher educa-
tion research (Birnbaum 1998 ) and provide external views on higher education
research in Japan (Teichler 2007 ). Joint research among researchers inside and out-
side Japan that focuses on higher education reforms in Japan has also been pub-
lished in this journal (Eades et al. 2005 ; Goodman et al. 2013 ).
The International Context of Higher Education Research
in Japan
What is the international context of higher education research in Japan? Again, the
author approaches this issue based on an examination of literature reviews linked to
the changing context of society and policies in Japan.
Japan was the first to develop a modern higher education system in East Asia and
has also been economically influential for a long time. Although information that is
internationally available has been limited, higher education researchers worldwide
have paid attention to the trends and research in this country. The interaction between
researchers inside and outside of Japan, in many cases, has occurred not only through
publications in English but also through research collaboration, interviews, and dis-
cussions at international conferences. However, in many cases, the provision of
information on domestic discourse to the international audience has not functioned
as a direct contribution to global and regional frameworks. The case studies based
on the information provided by experts in Japan need to be reinterpreted in order for
international experts to form international frameworks, and very few higher educa-
tion researchers from Japan have accomplished such a substantial leading role so far.
Independence from the International Research Community
The higher education research community in Japan has developed its own perspec-
tive rather independently from the international research community. This is partly
because the audience and stakeholders of higher education research already exist in
A. Yonezawa