Education in Japan

Education in Japan

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology	Masahito Moriyama
National education budget
Budget	¥5.4 trillion (4.1% of GDP)[2][3]
Per student	¥2.2 million[1]
General details
Primary languages	Japanese
System type	National, prefectural, local
Literacy
Total	94.97%[4]
Male	95.97%[4]
Female	95.97%[4]
Primary	10.9 million[5]
Secondary	3.98 million[5]
Post secondary	3.97 million[5]
Attainment
Secondary diploma	95.97%[7]
Post-secondary diploma	61.95%[6]

Education in Japan is managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan. Education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels, although more than 95% of the students receive higher secondary education as well.^[8]

The contemporary Japanese education system is a product of historical reforms dating back to the Meiji period, which established modern educational institutions and systems.^[9] This early start of modernisation enabled Japan to provide education at all levels in the native language (Japanese), rather than using the languages of powerful countries that could have had a strong influence in the region.^[10] Current educational policies focus on promoting lifelong learning, advanced professional education, and internationalising higher education through initiatives such as accepting more international students, as the nation has a rapidly ageing and shrinking population.^[11][12]

Japanese students consistently achieve high rankings in reading, mathematics, and sciences according to OECD evaluations. In the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Japan ranked eighth globally, with an average score of 520 compared to the OECD average of 488.^[13][14][15] Despite this relatively high performance, Japan’s spending on education as a percentage of GDP is 4.1%, below the OECD average of 5%.^[14] However, the expenditure per student is relatively high. As of 2023, around 65% of Japanese aged 25 to 34 have attained some form of tertiary education, with a significant number holding degrees in science and engineering, fields crucial to Japan’s technology-driven economy.^[15] Japanese women surpass men in higher education attainment, with 59% holding university degrees compared to 52% of men. MEXT reports that 80.6% of 18-year-olds pursue higher education, with a majority attending universities.^[16]