Politics and Curriculum: a case study of the Japanese history textbook dispute, 1982

This paper presents a case study of an international controversy which erupted in 1982 over state authorised changes to Japanese history textbooks. The dispute is analysed in terms of four convergent political, economic and social dynamics. These are the crucial nature of the Japanese state and its educational arm in Japan, the roots and focuses of post‐1945 political struggle, the pattern of Japanese postwar development, and the impact of recession and second cold war. The changes to history textbooks are considered to be a state response to promote domestic stability and to legitimise Japan's remilitarisation. The case study highlights the relationship between the slate and the educational sphere. It emphasises the political nature of curriculum and curriculum content and challenges the ideology of a ‘non‐political’ educational sphere.