Transition in the Japanese curriculum: How is the curriculum of elementary and secondary schools in Japan determined?

Japan is in the midst of school reform. Though national curriculum standards are determined by the national Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology (MEXT), local education authorities and schools recently have more authority concerning the determination of what is the best curriculum for students. For the success of school reform, whether schools and teachers can establish their independence is the key point. In this paper, the author reviews the Japanese curriculum administration system and concludes that in curriculum administration new attempts such as school-based curriculum decision-making should be adopted. Moreover, for such efforts to succeed, teachers should be trained about curriculum in Japan, something that has previously been the exclusive purview of the state.