This assessment of the status of computer assisted school automation (CASA) in Japan begins by describing the structure of the Japanese educational system and the roles of CASA in that system. Statistics on various aspects of computers in Japanese schools and the findings of several surveys are cited to report on the present state of educational computing, educational computing in the curriculum, computer assisted automation (CASA) in the schools, and educational information networks. Areas that can be supported by CASA in teaching, instructional management, and school administration are then listed: (1) curriculum development, lesson planning, time scheduling; (2) instructional design and evaluation; (3) information retrieval of educational materials and devices and production of educational materials; (4) diagnosis and evaluation of teaching processes concerning information on individual children; (5) data processing on achievement scores; (6) information on school counselling; (7) information on school and vocational guidance; (8) health and physical ability records; (9) information about the library; and (10) data processing on other school affairs. The status of these applications is briefly reviewed, and developmental strategies for CASA are described. Future tasks in the areas of teaching personnel and the infrastructure for supporting CASA are briefly discussed, and a need for financial support by both the central and local governments is indicated. (BBM)