How schooling is organised
Japan's national curriculum, the Course of Study (gakushū shidō yōryō), is issued by MEXT and revised roughly every ten years. It is more than guidance: textbooks must be screened against it and approved before schools may adopt them, which makes Japanese classroom material unusually uniform nationally.
Schooling runs six years of elementary, three of lower secondary (compulsory to this point) and three of upper secondary, which the large majority complete. University entry runs through the Common Test for University Admissions, administered by the National Center for University Entrance Examinations, usually combined with individual university examinations.
What the ministry publishes
MEXT publishes the Course of Study and its commentaries, and the National Institute for Educational Policy Research publishes assessment material and the national achievement survey. Past Common Test papers are published with answers. NHK for School is the outstanding free resource: a very large archive of short curriculum-linked programmes organised by subject and grade, free to stream, plus NHK's Japanese-language learning material.
Most material is in Japanese. MEXT publishes English translations of the Course of Study for major subjects, which are the best English-language source on what Japanese students actually study at each grade.
Getting the most out of it
NHK for School is organised by grade and subject in a way that maps directly onto the Course of Study, so it is easy to find material at the right level without knowing the curriculum in detail.
For university entrance, remember the two-stage structure: the Common Test covers breadth, while individual universities set their own second-stage papers, many of which they publish. Preparing only for the Common Test leaves the harder half unaddressed.
Resource listings
Assessment
-
National Assessment of Academic Ability
Annual national assessment for 6th grade elementary and 3rd grade lower secondary students
National Assessment6, 9Japanese LanguageMathematicsCurriculum-aligned
Character Education
-
Moral Education Programme
Comprehensive moral education curriculum emphasizing character development and ethical values
Character ProgrammeYears 1–9Moral EducationCharacter DevelopmentEthical ValuesCitizenshipCurriculum-aligned
Curriculum
-
Course of Study (Gakushū Shidō Yōryō)
National curriculum guidelines specifying educational standards and content for all elementary, junior and senior high schools
National CurriculumYears 1–12Japanese LanguageSocial StudiesMathematicsScienceCurriculum-aligned
Early Childhood
-
Kindergarten Education Guidelines
Educational framework for early childhood education covering ages 3-5 years
Early Years Framework0HealthHuman RelationshipsEnvironmentLanguageCurriculum-aligned
Educational Materials
-
Textbook Authorization System
National system for approving and certifying textbooks used in all Japanese schools
Textbook SystemYears 1–12Curriculum-aligned
General
-
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Japan's national education ministry responsible for curriculum standards, teacher certification, and educational policy
Ministry PortalYears 1–12Curriculum-aligned
Languages
-
Foreign Language Education
English language education starting from elementary level with expansion to other foreign languages
Language ProgrammeYears 3–12EnglishFrenchKoreanGermanCurriculum-aligned
Lower Secondary
-
Lower Secondary School Education
Three-year compulsory junior high school education with expanded curriculum including foreign languages
Lower Secondary FrameworkYears 7–9Japanese LanguageSocial StudiesMathematicsScienceCurriculum-aligned
Primary Education
-
Elementary School Education
Six-year compulsory primary education programme covering foundational subjects and moral education
Primary FrameworkYears 1–6Japanese LanguageSocial StudiesMathematicsScienceCurriculum-aligned
Special Education
-
Special Needs Education
Comprehensive education system for children with disabilities across all educational levels
Special Education FrameworkYears 0–12Specialized SupportTherapy ServicesCurriculum-aligned
Sustainability Education
-
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Integrated approach to sustainability education across all subjects and grade levels
Cross-curricular ProgrammeYears 1–12Environmental StudiesSocial StudiesScienceGeographyCurriculum-aligned
Teacher Development
-
National Center for Teachers' Development (NCTD)
Professional development centre providing leadership training and continuing education for teachers and administrators
Professional Development CentreAll levelsTeacher TrainingLeadership DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentCurriculum-aligned
Upper Secondary
-
Upper Secondary School Education
Three-year non-compulsory high school education with academic and vocational tracks
Upper Secondary FrameworkYears 10–12Japanese LanguageGeography and HistoryCivicsMathematicsCurriculum-aligned
Vocational Education
-
Vocational Education and Training
Technical and vocational education programmes in specialized high schools and colleges of technology
Vocational FrameworkYears 10–12BusinessIndustrial ArtsAgricultureFisheryCurriculum-aligned
All resources listed here are published by government departments, ministries, statutory examination bodies or public broadcasters and were free to access when last checked. OffLearn is not affiliated with any of them. Links open on the publisher's own site. Found a dead link? Tell us and we will fix it.
Other countries
United States
The United States has no national curriculum — standards and materials are set state by state, so the state page is the one that matters.
Canada
Canada has no federal education department at all — each province and territory runs its own curriculum, in English, French or both.
Australia
Australia teaches a single national curriculum that each state and territory adapts, so useful material sits at both the federal and state level.
United Kingdom
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run four genuinely different systems with different curricula and different exams.
New Zealand
New Zealand centralises its curriculum and qualifications nationally, so nearly all official material comes from two agencies.
Ireland
Ireland runs a centralised national curriculum with two high-stakes state examinations and an unusual optional transition year.