Issues and challenges in nursing and nursing education in Japan

SummaryIn this editorial we discuss the challenges and issues in nursing and nurse education in Japan.These include a rapid growth in the number of universities offering nursing programs without sufficient time for preparation of faculty; issues in the traditional ways of teaching in classrooms; the appearance of nursing shortages in a country with the highest rate of longevity in the world; and the position of nursing faculty in a society that is largely male dominated.