Civics Education in Japan: Values Promoted in the School Curriculum

Civics and Social Studies are subjects the Japanese Ministry of Education has designated for civics education in schools. The 'Courses of Study' for these subjects, drawn up by the Ministry of Education, list the desired objectives and contents of all Civics‐related courses. The purpose of this article is to analyze the values promoted in the two levels of the civics education curriculum, namely the 'Courses of Study' and the approved textbooks. These are analyzed with reference to eight categories, which are: civic life, social cohesion/ diversity, democracy, fair government, economic life, self cultivation, national identity and internationalism.