Preface Robert LeVine; Introduction; Part I. Moral Scripts and Reasoning: 1. Moral scripts: a US-Japan comparison Hiroshi Azuma; 2. Moral reasoning among adults: Japan-US comparison Nobumichi Isawa; Part II. Mother and Child at Home: 3. The maternal role in Japan: cultural values and socioeconomic conditions Yoshie Nishioka Rice; 4. Japanese mother-child relationships: skill acquisition before the preschool years Shusuke Kobayashi; Part III. Group Life: The Young Child in Preschool and School: 5. Learning to become part of the group: the Japanese child's transition to preschool life Lois Peak; 6. Peer culture and interaction: how Japanese children express their internalization Victoria E. Kelly; Part IV. Adolescent Experience: 7. Beyond individualism and sociocentrism: an ontological analysis of personal experiences of Japanese adolescents Hidetada Shimizu; 8. Returnees to Japan: the impact of having lived in the United States Miya Omori; Part V. Reflections: 9. Children and families: reflections on the 'crisis' in Japanese child-rearing today Merry I. White.