Thanks for the link.
The article basically says what I'm already pre-disposed to believe, so I'm forcing myself to take it with a grain of salt, especially since it doesn't include much supporting data. (I find myself always too willing to believe reports that conform to my pre-existing views. Discouraging, but human, I guess.)
Nonetheless, the description of the Japanese system matches up with my 15-plus years of experience over here, and word of mouth information from other expats talking about their home country systems also seems to match that in the article. I'm usually a fiction reader rather than a non-fiction reader, but I'm tempted to buy the guy's book, to see if he gives a more complete picture.