Abstract
Big differences exist between Japanese and U.S. business schools. The scale of Japanese business schools is one twenty-fifth to one fiftieth of U.S. business schools. Business schools play an important role in the U.S. economy but in Japan, the schools have little impact on business and their role in the Japanese economy is negligible.
The majority of Japanese business schools provide part-time, evening MBA programs and students attend while continuing full-time employment. Tuition is much less than - one-third to one-tenth of - leading U.S. business schools. Classes are taught in Japanese, there are few foreign students and overseas campuses and collaboration with foreign business schools are rare.
These characteristics and limitations of Japanese business schools may well be the result of adaptation to unfavorable environments. Business schools originated and developed in the U.S. and were transplanted to Japan. As a result, business schools have had to adapt to Japanese business and culture, which tends to have a negative view of the schools.
