Evolution of education and political ideologies in modern Japan: From Meiji Restoration to post-war reforms

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29351/rmhe.v13i25.634

Keywords:

Meiji Restoration, Japanese education, political ideology, educational reform, post-war Japan

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of education and political ideologies in modern Japan, from the Meiji Restoration to the post-World War II era. Using a qualitative historical methodology, it analyzes primary and secondary sources to explore the interplay between educational reforms and political shifts, focusing on key policies and their societal impacts. The research highlights how education both shaped and was shaped by political ideologies, contributing to Japan’s modernization and democratic transition. Contributions include a comprehensive timeline spanning over a century, an interdisciplinary approach bridging educational history and political science, and a critical analysis of ideological shifts in education. The study also emphasizes the post-war democratic transition, offering contemporary relevance and policy implications for current educational challenges. By tracing these developments, it provides insights into the complex relationship between education, politics, and national identity in modern Japan.

Author Biography

Habib Badawi, Lebanese University

Professor at Lebanese University and freelance researcher in international relations. Since 2005, he has specialized in Japanese studies, focusing on Japan’s modern history in his M.A. thesis and Ph.D. dissertation. In 2016, he became the coordinator of the ‘United States of America – History and Civilization’ course at the University’s History Department. In 2018, he received the ‘Academic Excellence Award in the Arab World’ as ‘Academic Personality of the Year’ for his pioneering role in establishing Japanese studies as a distinct academic field within the Human Sciences in the region. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6452-8379. E-mail: Habib.badawi@ul.edu.lb

References

Abegglen, J. C. (1970). The economic growth of Japan. Scientific American, 222(3), 31-37. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24925751

Arai, Y. (2019). Modern democratic theories and political education in Japan. Educational Studies in Japan, 13, 67-79. https://doi.org/10.7571/esjkyoiku.13.67

Aspinall, R. W. (2001). Teachers’ unions and the politics of education in Japan. State University of New York Press. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED460440

Bamkin, S. (2019). Moral education in Japan: The disjoint between research on policy and research on practice. Social Science Japan Journal, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/ssjj/jyz008

Beauchamp, E. R. (1971). Recent developments in the Japanese student movement. Peabody Journal of Education, 48(4), 321-324. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ041576

Beauchamp, E. R. (1987). The development of Japanese educational policy, 1945-85. History of Education Quarterly, 27(3), 299-324. https://doi.org/10.2307/368630

Fujita, H. (2000). Education reform and education politics in Japan. American Sociologist, 31, 42-57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-000-1033-9

Grajdanzev, A. J. (1943). The “ethical elevation” of Japanese politics. Far Eastern Survey, 12(7), 67-71. https://oa.mg/work/10.1525/as.1943.12.7.01p1178x

Griffis, W. E. (1912). Mutsuhito the Great. The North American Review, 196(682), 328-338. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25119836

Hood, C. P. (2001). Japanese education reform: Nakasone’s legacy. Routledge. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7R5ZgKpwyc8C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Hoston, G. A. (1984). Marxism and national socialism in Taishõ Japan: The thought of Takabatake Motoyuki. The Journal of Asian Studies, 44(1), 43-64. https://doi.org/10.2307/2056746

Ide, K. (2009). The debate on patriotic education in post-World War II Japan. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 41(4), 441-452. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-5812.2008.00510.x

JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency] (2011). Part I: Overview of the history of Japan’s education. https://www.jica.go.jp/Resource/jica-ri/IFIC_and_JBICI-Studies/english/publications/reports/study/topical/educational/pdf/educational_02.pdf

Liu, J. (2019). On the education reform of the Meiji Japan. International Journal of New Developments in Engineering and Society, 3(4), 21-27. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJNDES.030404

MEXT [Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology] (1947). White paper on education, culture, sports, science, and technology. Chapter 1. Part 3: How the fundamental law of education befitting to the new times should be. https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/html/06101913/004.htm

MEXT (2025). Overview of education policy. https://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/overview/index.htm

Morito, T. (1955). Educational reform and its problems in post-War Japan. International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift Für Erziehungswissenschaft / Revue Internationale de l’Education, 1(3), 338-351. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3441564

Murakami, S., & Bunkichi, I. (1956). Post-war reconstruction of Japanese education and its social aspects. The Journal of Educational Sociology, 29(7), 309-316. https://doi.org/10.2307/2264174

Nakamura, Y., & Tobe, R. (1988). The Imperial Japanese Army and politics. Armed Forces & Society, 14(4), 511-525. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45305016

Okada, A. (2012). Education reform and equal opportunity in Japan. Journal of International and Comparative Education, 1, 116-129. https://doi.org/10.14425/00.45.78

Shimbori, M. (1960). The fate of postwar educational reform in Japan. The School Review, 68(2), 228-241. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1083588

Sims, R. (2001). Japanese political history since the Meiji renovation 1868-2000. Palgrave Macmillan.

Sullivan, P. (1966). John Dewey’s philosophy of education. The High School Journal, 49(8), 391-397. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40366240

Swale, A. (2013). The political thought of Mori Arinori: A study of Meiji conservatism. Routledge.

The Journal of Education (1908, jan. 23). The Imperial Rescript on Education in Japan. The Journal of Education, 67(4), 102. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42811291

The University of Tokyo (2025). About the University of Tokyo. https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/about/about.html

Waseda University (2020). History. https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/about/history

Yamashita, H., & Williams, C. (2002). A vote for consensus: Democracy and difference in Japan. Comparative Education, 38(3), 277-289. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305006022000014142

Yonezawa, A. (2003). The impact of globalization on higher education governance in Japan. Higher Education Research & Development, 22, 145-154. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360304113

Yu, A. C. (1872). Gakusei (educational system, the education system order). Japanese Wiki Corpus. https://www.japanesewiki.com/history/Gakusei%20(educational%20system,%20the%20Education%20System%20Order).html

Downloads

Published

2025-01-31

How to Cite

Badawi, H. (2025). Evolution of education and political ideologies in modern Japan: From Meiji Restoration to post-war reforms. Revista Mexicana De Historia De La Educación, 13(25), 15–39. https://doi.org/10.29351/rmhe.v13i25.634