Chapter 3: The Kokoro Education: Landscaping the Minds and Hearts of Japanese

In January 2001, faced with declining birthrates and rapid socioeconomic globalization, the National Commission on Education Reform in Japan put together its final report on educational reform for the new century. Based on this report, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) drew up the Education Reform Plan for the 21st Century. In 2003, the ministry also announced the Action Plan for Cultivating Japanese with English Ability, to be implemented by 2008. Japan’s neighboring governments, such as the Taiwanese (Oladejo, 2006) and South Korean governments (Jung & Norton, 2002) have adopted similar foreign language education policies. Governments in East Asia realize that it is important to ensure that the young are equipped with better communication skills so they can contribute to and survive in the increasingly globalized and competitive world. At the same time, however, a look at the recommendations made for moral and social education in the Education Reform Plan for the 21st Century reveals that the Japanese central government places special emphasis on building a firm Japanese identity.