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The Ambiguity of ‘Us’ Between Reality and Educational Policy in Japan

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Regimes of Belonging – Schools – Migrations

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Abstract

Japanese society has been diversifying in terms of linguistically and culturally diverse students gradually and steadily since the 1990s. Along with this, interest in intercultural education is increasing in Japan and many studies into children with foreign roots and education in Japan have been conducted. As one of the outcomes, the existing dichotomy of ‘majority Japanese’ and ‘ethnic minority groups’ was found to be inadequate for understanding the reality of Japanese society even though this dichotomy is still an underlying presumption of Japanese educational policy. This paper aims to critically explore the image of national identity (‘We Japanese’) with reference to how children with foreign roots are addressed in the National Course of Study (Gakushūshidoyoryō) from an intercultural and comparative educational perspective. It also attempts to analyse the ambivalence between the National Course of Study and discussions about children with foreign roots by some academic advisory boards for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Matsuo is the first person who discussed ‘Japaneseness’ by referring to the discussion of ‘Whiteness’ in the USA.

  2. 2.

    The National Course of Study (NCoS), which is called Gakushūshidoyoryō in Japanese, functions as a national curriculum. It is legally binding and defines the learning contents in each subject and grade. NCoS for primary and lower secondary education is revised every ten years at the same time and, along with these revisions, the Teaching Guide of the NCoS (Gakushūshidōyoryō kaisetsu) is also published. In this paper, I refer only to the NCoS of primary and lower secondary education.

  3. 3.

    Foreign parents have no obligation to make their children attend Japanese compulsory schools. If they wish, their children are allowed to attend public schools. However, the boards of education in prefectures and cities give a notice of entrance to parents of primary school aged foreign children when the children are six years old.

  4. 4.

    This programme aims to give people from developing countries and areas chances to gain knowledge, skills and techniques in Japan for global cooperation. However, in fact, trainees of this programme also somehow compensate for Japan’s decreasing labour force. In this respect, moreover, it is criticised that some employers (trainers) violate their human rights. The United Nations Human Rights Committee criticised this programme in 2014, alleging that it led to sexual exploitation, forced labour, and fatal accidents. The US Department of State also criticised it in 2017, comparing it to human trafficking.

  5. 5.

    In Japan, lifelong dual citizenship is not allowed. Children born from parents with different citizenships keep dual citizenship only until the age of 22, after which they must then choose one citizenship.

  6. 6.

    Shibuya (2011) describes the differences between intercultural education in similar terms of education for international understanding (Kokusai Rikai Kyōiku) and multicultural education (Tabunka Kyōiku) in Japan. Education for international understanding is influenced by the work of UNESCO and frequently used for classroom practice and research into this (Shibuya 2011). The term multicultural education is used by researchers whose research fields are Anglo-Saxon countries and those who address the unequal educational situation of minorities in Japan (Hirasawa 2009; Shibuya 2011).

  7. 7.

    While the instruction of Japanese language was stipulated, the Japanese government has not prepared for all of children in need of Japanese language instruction throughout Japan. Its implementation differs from prefecture to prefecture depending on factors such as staff numbers, training and funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fukuoka University, Jonan-ku/Fukuoka, Japan

    Akiko Ito

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  1. Akiko Ito
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Correspondence to Akiko Ito .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Lydia Heidrich

  2. Universitat Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Yasemin Karakaşoğlu

  3. Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Paul Mecheril

  4. Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Saphira Shure

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Ito, A. (2021). The Ambiguity of ‘Us’ Between Reality and Educational Policy in Japan. In: Heidrich, L., Karakaşoğlu, Y., Mecheril, P., Shure, S. (eds) Regimes of Belonging – Schools – Migrations. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-29189-1_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-29189-1_15

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