Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Educational Reforms in Japan -- 3. Professional Development in Initial Teacher Education -- 4. Teaching Culture in Japan -- 5. Case Studies -- 6. Preservice Teachers' Perspectives on Teaching -- 7. Factors that Affect Initial Teacher Education -- 8. Mediational Tools: Narrowing the Gap between Theory and Practice -- 9. A Critical Reflection: Professional Development in Initial Teacher Education in Japan -- References -- Index