Global Education in Japan

Global education has become a trendy phrase in Japan. A recent international symposium entitled “Primary and Secondary Education in the Global Age,” held in August 2013 by National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), attracted a large audience confirming interest in this area. Among the discussions at the symposium, a central one was the debate about the meaning of "a global person." For some, especially those in economic circles, diversity is regarded as a source of competition. For others, particularly multicultural educators, diversity is regarded as one reason to implement changes to the social welfare policies and education in an increasingly global society. With these two polarized positions in mind, I examine what Intercultural Education Society in Japan has tried to achieve since it first introduced the word “intercultural” into Japan 30 years ago. Because of the efforts of the society, the largest Japanese association in this field, most people in Japan are now aware of the term “intercultural.” However, research from the society has concentrated on promoting dichotomous viewpoints based on comparisons between Japan and other countries such as the U.S. The focus of the society's research is primarily on the differences between nations, while it has scarcely put any effort into the investigation of diversity or power differences within society. In other words, in spite of the organization's goals, it has failed to scrutinize the idea of "intercultural" in terms related to internal diversity or issues connected to social justice even as Japan has experienced a number of changes related to these in this age of globalization. In this study, I examine and analyze the context above and consider the reasons for the tendency identified in this field of Japanese education.