In 2014, Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,[1] or MEXT, released a statement in response to a New York Times article on Japan’s education strategy. MEXT intended its reforms to promote globilization and focused them on three areas: foreign language education, the internationalization of Japanese universities, and the teaching of Japanese traditions so students could learn about their own identity.[2] The Ministry wanted students to appreciate their own culture and simultaneously learn about the cultures of others, becoming more globally aware. Like many countries, the Ministry wanted the younger generations to develop into leaders and citizens that could take Japan into a new age of international communication and awareness, and they believed introducing a more communication focused curriculum would foster this.

[1] The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology will hereafter be referred to as the Ministry or MEXT

[2] Hakubun Shimomura, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, in statement on the October 12 International New York Times article “Japan’s Divided Education Strategy”: http://www.mext.go.jp/english/topics/1353287.htm