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Tsuyohiko Kariya

かりや たけひこ

Kariya Tsuyohiko

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1955-12-19 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, English
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan → Oxford, United Kingdom

Career

Occupations
Sociologist, Educational sociologist, University professor
Active Years
1980-
Affiliations
Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Tokyo, Professor, Department of Sociology and Nissan Institute for Japanese Studies (University of Oxford), Fellow, St Antony's College, University of Oxford, Former Principal, Secondary School Affiliated to the University of Tokyo
Memberships
Fellow, St Antony's College, Oxford
Influenced By
Pierre Bourdieu

Education

Tokyo Metropolitan Sumidagawa High School
Country: Japan
Attended high school
University of Tokyo
Faculty of Education / Education
Degree: 学士
Country: Japan
Undergraduate degree
Graduate School of Education, University of Tokyo
Graduate School of Education / Education
Degree: 修士
Country: Japan
Completed master's program
Northwestern University
Graduate School / Sociology
Degree: Ph.D
Country: United States
Completed Ph.D. program (Sociology)

Awards

Medal with Purple Ribbon
2023
Organization: Cabinet Office (Japan)
Result: 受章

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Sociology of School, Occupation and Selection: The Japanese Mechanism of High-School Graduate Employment

1991 Academic monograph

Analyzes Japan's distinctive mechanism of high-school graduate employment and discusses the relationships among school, occupation and selection from a sociological perspective.

educational sociologyemploymentselectionsocial stratification

The Fate of Mass Education Society: Credentialism and the Myth of Equality in Postwar Japan

1995 Academic monograph

Examines historically and sociologically how credentialism and the 'myth of equality' were produced and reproduced in postwar Japan.

credentialismmyth of equalitypostwar historyeducation system

Academic Achievement and Class: How to Repair the Faults of Education

2008 Scholarly book for general readers

Analyzes the relationship between academic achievement gaps and social class, and discusses possible reforms in education policy and institutions.

achievement gapssocial classeducation policy

Education and Equality: How Mass Education Society Was Formed

2009 Chuko Shinsho (popular academic)

Outlines the formation of mass education society and clarifies the relation between education and equality, presenting contemporary challenges.

mass educationequalityhistory of education

A Wake-up Call from Oxford: On Universities in the Age of Globalization

2017 Essay/critique

Critically examines globalization and university reforms and issues a warning regarding the state of university education in Japan.

higher educationglobalizationuniversity reform

Caught-up Modernity, Vanished Modernity: Postwar Japan's Self-Image and Education

2019 Academic monograph

Analyzes changes in postwar Japan's self-image and educational perspectives, discussing modernization processes and the role of education.

modernizationnational self-imagehistory of education

Education After COVID-19: Proposals from Oxford

2020 Policy essay

Discusses post-COVID-19 education and proposes ideas for redesigning learning and institutional management in schools and universities.

education redesignpandemic and educationonline learning

Japanese Modes of Thought: Reading Habits from University Education in Japan

2025 Essay/critique

Uses university education as a lens to interpret Japanese modes of thought and learning habits, presenting issues for education.

university educationmodes of thoughteducational culture

Bibliography

  • The Sociology of School, Occupation and Selection (1991)
  • American Universities, Japanese Universities (1992; revised 2012)
  • The Fate of Mass Education Society (1995)
  • Multiple Perspective Thinking (1996)
  • What Is a School? (1998)
  • Class-Stratified Japan and the Education Crisis (2001)
  • The Illusion of Education Reform (2002)
  • Achievement and Class (2008)
  • Education and Equality (2009)
  • A Wake-up Call from Oxford (2017)
  • Caught-up Modernity, Vanished Modernity (2019)
  • Education After COVID-19 (2020)
  • Japanese Modes of Thought (2025)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Scholarly, logically structured analysisAccessible explanations aimed at general readers
Recurring Motifs
credentialism and academic credential societyreproduction of social stratificationcritique of education reformexamination of the 'myth of equality'

Legacy

A leading figure in educational sociology who clarified issues of credentialism and education reform in Japan. Through positions at the University of Tokyo and the University of Oxford he has influenced academic and policy debates; his works are read by both specialists and general audiences.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Sociological Society
  • Japanese Association of Educational Sociology

Archives

  • University of Tokyo Library — Education Materials Room

Trivia

  • Resigned from the University of Tokyo in 2009 and took up a position at the University of Oxford.
  • Has served as principal of the Secondary School Affiliated to the University of Tokyo.
  • Awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2023.