This paper clarified the characteristics of educational activities of faculty in Japan by
analyzing the results of the“Changing Academic Profession in Asia”survey in 2012. The results were as follows: 1. Japanese faculty were the most research-oriented as compared with university faculty in five other Asian countries, which were characterized as being strongly educationoriented. However, this did not imply that Japanese faculty were less enthusiastic about teaching than their other Asian counterparts, as evidenced by the higher than average hours expended
on educational activities in Japan. 2. Of the faculty surveyed in the six countries, Japanese faculty were the most cognizant of a decline in student quality. 3. Evaluations of their educational environments by Japanese faculty did not exceed those of their counterparts in the other countries.
4. Japanese faculty work hard to prepare and conduct their classroom lessons, experiments, and practical training. Furthermore, they improve their effectiveness as educators by instructing their students using informal communication. However, it is unclear whether they have systematized their curriculum. Improvements have primarily focused on classroom and seminar presentations, with little progress being evident in terms of systematic educational reforms such as curriculum
development. In conclusion, university-level educational reforms in Japan require faculty to change their mindsets and focus primarily on students. Moreover, institutional reforms are required to support this process.