Anyway, Japanese school teaches more about how to live in harmony with the rest of the group and social manners than how to reason logically, analyze ideas or be creative.

In short, European education is idealistic and care about personal development and how to think well. Japanese education is practical (job-oriented), and care about social developement and how to interact harmoniously with people in society.
I enjoyed my education here.Primary school was relaxed, lots of play and basics for maths, english and sciences. High School mixed tradition education with more practical things. At first you do everything, English, Maths, a 2nd Language and Society and the Environment are compulsary. Technology (Woodwork, Metalwork, Plastics, Computing, Electronics, Photography, Structural Design) and the Arts (Design, Sewing, Cooking, Outdoor Education - think camping, Music, Modelling (Clay etc)) are done over 2 years. In the third year you pick the tech and arts subjects. The other interesting subject is Work Experience, where they go over important things like workers rights and laws, occupational health and safety and one week of actual work experience. We go out and for one week work somewhere with the permission of the business owner (unpaid).

Apart from normal school stuff we have extra courses on offer all the time, I did a tourism and hospitality course, agriculture, mechanics, 6months at Mitsubishi Motors doing computing, web design and alot of Air Force stuff.

I mean its all nice to be able to do calculus maths and be knowledgable in physics but the fact of the matter is unless you go into that feild of work does it do you any good? I've done all that and its been of little use. On the other hand I can look after my self around the house, make things, mould things, weld things etc.

School here really feels like a stepping stone to getting out into the real world. Prepares you for the things that matter.