Studies On Transformation Of Policy For International Understanding Education In Japan

Japan is one of the first countries which practice international understanding education. In more than one half century, Japan has achieved great progress in theories and practices of international understanding education, and formed its own features.In this paper, the history of international understanding education policy in Japan is divided into three phases on the basis of key characteristics demonstrated in different phases, including (1) fledging phase during which UNESCO's related policies were focused on; (2) shifting phase during which it coped with internationalization; (3) developing phase in reply of globalization. At the same time of analyzing international understanding education policy in aforementioned three phases, the conjunction of this policy with primary and secondary education practices has also been discussed.On the basis of above analysis, starting with the uncertainty of concept of international understanding education in Japan, this paper has reviewed Japanese academia's reaction to international understanding education through Japanese scholars'controversy over concept of international understanding education. In the conclusion part, this paper has summarized social, political and economic factors affecting the transformation of international understanding education policy in Japan as well as its experience, with the purpose of obtaining some enlightenment for the advancement of international understanding education in China.