This study explored Japanese day nursery and kindergarten teachers' beliefs and practices regarding developmentally appropriate practices. Data were collected using in-depth interviews. Teacher interviews provided insights into the merger of the childcare and education systems of Japan. Six themes emerged from the analysis of the day nursery and kindergarten teachers' interviews: (1) play is learning; (2) physical and social development is of utmost importance; (3) the teacher is an observer, facilitator and role model; (4) assigning roles and tasks is common in every classroom; (5) individual and group activities are interchangeable; and (6) the processes involved in the proposed merger of two seemingly diverse curricula, care and education, are less transparent to teachers. While the findings reported here offer insights for practitioners working in the field of early years care and education in Japan, they may prove of interest to academics, researchers and practitioners in other countries. (author abstract)