What Kind of Critical Thinking Best Suits Japan?

What Kind of Critical Thinking Best Suits Japan?

This article makes a case that critical thinking education can be adapted to the Japanese scene but that both the definition and methods for teaching critical thinking require consideration of the Japanese social context. Objections to bringing critical thinking to Japan are usually based on the view that critical thinking is a Western cultural attribute unsuited to Asia. However, Siegel's four reasons apply to the needs of the Japanese, and the responsiveness of Japanese people to critical thinking has shown its relevance. Rather than the full-orbed concept of critical thinking developed to deal with opinionated Western students, a definition of critical thinking emphasizing reasoning skills seems most workable in Japan, along with a small-group centered instructional approach. Sources and research in Japan are brought in to support the view that an adapted version of critical thinking can be successfully applied there.