National concern over the serious decline and poor performance of United States students in mathematics and science is reflected in this paper which discusses and compares performances and behavioral characteristics of Japanese students with their United States counterparts and, in some instances, with students from Sweden, Australia, England, Canada, France, and Switzerland, in an attempt to explain the magnitude of the differences among them. The descriptions and findings represent a synthesis of research results from major international comparative achievement tests in mathematics, science, and other studies deemed appropriate and important for reporting to the United States public. Among the topics discussed are: performance in mathematics; achievement in science; characteristics and trends in United States science achievement; whether there are differences in mental ability (IQ) between Japanese and United States students; amount of homework; perceptions and attitudes of Japanese students; problems of Japanese youth; learning in Japan; the curriculum in Japan's educational system; the structure of the educational curriculum of Japan; and school guidance and moral education in Japan. The paper also includes tables, a 15-page general bibliography, and several selected bibliographies. (TRS)