Abstract: In the 1990s, Japanese colleges and universities began to introduce the concept of service-learning from the United States, which brought new trends to the social service function of Japanese colleges and universities.On the basis of adhering to the understanding that service-learning is an activity connecting “community service” and “student learning”, Japanese colleges and universities carry out service-learning activities in various forms and design diversified projects for promotion, and at the same time establish clear and systematic service-learning organizational procedures.There are some obvious characteristics of service learning practice, such as the strong support and boost of the national education policy, attention to the change of the community, focus on mutually-pushed development of students ability and university education quality, parallel development of domestic and international service-learning activities, etc.It can provide useful implications for China in the innovation of social service in colleges and universities and effective advancement of service-learning.

Key words: service-learning, social service, new trends, Japanese colleges and universities