The role of Japanese political actors in the establishment of the basis of a new education system in Japan during the occupation period
https://doi.org/10.55105/2500-2872-2025-3-66-84
Abstract
The reforms of the occupation period in Japan significantly changed the education system in the country. Meanwhile, the main principles and ideological foundation of the new educational policy were laid in 1946—1947, when the Basic Act on Education, the School Education Law, and amendments to the Constitution of Japan were created and promulgated. At the same time, there are still debates about whether these reforms were mainly imposed by the SCAP (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers), or whether Japanese politicians, academics, and educators had sufficient opportunities to promote their initiatives. This article is devoted to assessing the role of Japanese political actors involved in the education reforms of 1946—1947.
In the work, it was found that SCAP, having enormous opportunities and powers to influence the course of reforms, in practice used its power in education policy for the most part only on issues of key importance to the occupation administration. SCAP influenced elections, allowing left-liberal politicians to come to power; it strictly supervised the prevention of the spread of nationalistic and militaristic ideas through the education system. However, on other issues, Japanese political actors were freer to act. The creation of the Basic Act on Education and the School Education Law, which became the basis of the new education system, resulted from debates and compromises between various Japanese politicians and educators. The analysis presented in this article leads to the conclusion that Japanese actors played a huge role in shaping the education system. Although most of the results of the changes can be considered victories of liberal actors, conservatives also managed to achieve partial victories, such as the adoption of the Resolution on Religious Sentiment Education. Moreover, the laws that laid down the basic principles of educational policy were not excessively detailed. This feature, also established at the initiative of Japanese actors, made it possible to develop educational policy more flexibly in the future.
About the Author
D. A. Romanenko
Center for Japanese Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Romanenko Daniil A., Junior Researcher
12, Rozhdestvenka Str., Moscow, 107031
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For citations:
Romanenko D.A. The role of Japanese political actors in the establishment of the basis of a new education system in Japan during the occupation period. Japanese Studies in Russia. 2025;(3):66-84. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.55105/2500-2872-2025-3-66-84
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