Till death do us part ? : Analyzing the contemporary patriotic education movement in Japan

Abstract

The goals of this thesis are to understand the complexity and significance of the Contemporary Patriotic Education Movement. In particular, I examine three key questions: Why are patriotic reforms of general education objectives and revisions of national history curriculum/textbook content central aspects of this movement? How did supporters of this movement carry out these reforms and revisions? And, how does Kanagawa Prefecture's recent national and local history initiative for public high schools, a local offshoot of this movement, intend to promote patriotism? These questions will be explored in three chapters. Chapter 1 investigates the Contemporary Patriotic Education Movement's reforms of national education objectives and educational law sponsored by Prime Ministers Nakasone, Obuchi, Mori, Koizumi, and Abe. Chapter 2 examines national history curriculum and textbook revisions related to this movement. Chapter 3 focuses on the local offshoot of this movement in Kanagawa Prefecture. Finally, I conclude with my insights and opinions regarding the political execution of this movement at the national and local levels, the sense of patriotism and cultural identity promoted by supporters of this movement, and the future of patriotic education in Japan.