This article comments upon James and Pollard's contribution in comparison with perspectives on pedagogy in Japan, where the concept has tended to be discredited by academics. TLRP's clusters of 10 principles are reviewed and found to be persuasive and meaningful, especially in relation to the following points: the emphasis on recognising children's right to determine their future; the stress on "empowering" rather than "effectiveness" of school education; the valuing of abstract knowledge beyond the practical context; "cautious optimism" about the potential to apply brain science to education; the unique value of "scaffolding" in human learning; the proper role of self-evaluation by learners in assessment; the emphasis on making meaning in the interaction between internal desires and external context; the important role of "Kizuna", i.e. human ties or bonds, as a variable mediating between achievement and the economic status of children; the essential function of "informal education" out of school, especially the role of ICT; the emphasis on the importance of "lesson study" in in-service education for teachers; and the argument for more decentralisation of educational administration to respond directly to people's voices. Japan should learn from this contribution in its search for effective pedagogy to support learning.