As Prof Steve said about this episode: "My sons were going through Japanese public schools, and I tried to show the system from their viewpoint and that of my Japanese wife. Doing homework, for example, is a struggle against human nature. My wife tells them what they need to do to reach their goals, but, with so many gadgets to enjoy, they have to get into what anthropologists call a mood of willing. Since the time of this speech, the educational situation in Japan has become more relaxed, and the lazy boys have grown up to be surprisingly successful in Tokyo in the IT and entertainment industries." 

A Family goes through Japanese Education