The bizarre and unreasonable rules that schools in Japan enforce upon children are not preparing them for the modern world where technology is changing what it means to be a human, says Agnes Chan, a bestselling author of parenting books.
Rather, she says, the oppressive school system is killing creativity at the same time as overprotective parents keep a tight psychological grip on their children, setting absurdly high expectations and doing just as much damage, she warns.
"I don't think parents and society are expecting the right things from children," says Chan, who now juggles multiple roles such as singer, TV personality, lecturer and UNICEF goodwill ambassador, alongside her writing.