From MEXT to the NEXT Overview of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology - Japan https://www.mext.go.jp/ MEXT is the acronym of “Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology” taken from its abbreviation MECSST. MEXT MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-JAPAN 3-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8959, Japan TEL: +81-3-5253-4111 [Issued March, 2021] INDEX Organization of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and 4 Technology (MEXT) Chronology of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Introduction of the Bureaus 6 Education Policy Bureau ● EDUCATION 8 Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau ● EDUCATION 12 Higher Education Bureau ● EDUCATION 14 Science and Technology Policy Bureau ● SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 16 Research Promotion Bureau ● SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 18 Research and Development Bureau ● SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 20 Japan Sports Agency ● SPORTS 22 Agency for Cultural Affairs ● CULTURE 24 Minister’s Secretariat ／ Director-General for International Affairs 25 Department of Facilities Planning and Disaster Prevention 26 Statistics 30 Introduction of Related Independent Administrative Institutions 31 Map and Directory 02 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology EDUCATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY SPORTS CULTURE Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 03 Minister Parliamentary Vice- Special Advisor to the Secretary to the State Ministers (2) Ministers (2) Minister Minister (Administrative) Vice Minister Senior Deputy Ministers (2) Elementary and Secondary Science and Technology Policy Minister’s Secretariat Education Policy Bureau Higher Education Bureau Education Bureau Bureau Personnel Division Policy Division Policy Division Policy Division Policy Division Management and Coordination Analytical Research Planning Financial Affairs Division University Promotion Division Planning and Evaluation Division Division Division Educational Human Resources Budget and Accounts Division School Curriculum Division Technical Education Division Human Resources Policy Division Policy Division Research and Development Policy Division International Education Division Student Affairs Division Medical Education Division Infrastructure Division Lifelong Learning Promotion Student Support and University-Industry Collaboration International Affairs Division Early Childhood Education Division Division Exchange Division and Regional R&D Division Community Learning Promotion National University Special Needs Education Division Division Corporation Support Division Department of Facilities Planning and Disaster Prevention Gender Equality, Cohesive Society Media, Information and Foreign Learning and Safety Division Language Education Division Policy Division Private Education Institution Textbook Division Department Local Facilities Aid Division Health Education and Shokuiku Private Education Institution Division Administration Division Private Education Institution Aid National Facilities Division Upper Secondary School Division Division Disaster Prevention and Private Education Institution Technical Affairs Division Management Division Director-General for International Affairs Chronology of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) 1871 Ministry of Education established 1872 Promulgation of the school system 1947 The Basic Act on Education, School Education Law, enacted 1949 Scientific Technical Administration Committee established Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties enacted; Protection of Cultural Properties Committee established (external bureau of the Ministry of 1950 Education, Culture, Sports Science and Technology) 1956 Science and Technology Agency established (external bureau of the Prime Minister'’s Office) 1959 Council for Science and Technology Policy established 1961 Sports Promotion Law enacted 1964 Tokyo Olympics held Agency for Cultural Affairs established (merging of the Protection of Cultural Properties Committee and the Ministry of Education Cultural Affairs 1968 Bureau) 1972 Sapporo Olympics held 1984 National Council on Education Reform established (to 1987) 1995 Science and Technology Basic Law enacted 1996 First Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2000) 1998 Nagano Olympics held 2000 Basic Plan for the Promotion of Sports formulated (to FY2011) 04 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Organization of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (as of October 2020) MEXT Staff Japan Sports Agency for Ministry Members Agency Cultural Affairs 2,150 1,729 120 301 Agency for Cultural Affairs Policy Division Planning and Japan Sports Agency Coordination Division Cultural Economy and Policy Division International Affairs Division Research and Development Organs under MEXT Research Promotion Bureau Japanese Language Bureau jurisdiction Sports for Health Division Division Policy Division Policy Division National Institute for Educational Policy Research Competitive Sports Division Copyright Division Basic Research Promotion Earthquake and Disaster-Reduction Cultural Resources Division Research Division International Affairs Division National Institute of Science Utilization Division Scientific Research Institutes and Technology Policy Ocean and Earth Division Division Olympic and Paralympic Games First Cultural Properties Division Division Scientific Research Aid Division Environment and Energy Division Second Cultural Special Institutions Community Development Properties Division Division Space Development and Life Sciences Division Religious Affairs Utilization Division The Japan Academy Sports Organizations Support Division Information Science and and Private-Sector Cooperation Atomic Energy Division Technology Division The Headquarters for Division Culture and Creativity Earthquake Research Division Materials Science and Promotion Nuclear Liability Division Nanotechnology Division Arts and Culture Division Japanese National Commission for UNESCO Food Culture Division Cultural Tourism Division Special Institutions The Japan Art Academy MEXT established (merging of the Ministry of Education, Science Sports and Culture and the Science and Technology Agency as a result of the reorganization of central government ministries and agencies) 2001 Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts enacted Second Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2005) First Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2006) 2002 Five-day week system implemented for schools Third Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2010) 2006 Revision of the Basic Act on Education enacted 2007 Second Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2010) 2008 First Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education formulated (to FY2012) Third Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2015) 2011 Fourth Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2015) Basic Act on Sport enacted 2012 First Sport Basic Plan formulated (to FY2016) 2013 Second Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education formulated (to FY2017) Fourth Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2020) 2015 Japan Sports Agency established (external bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) 2016 Fifth Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2020) 2017 Second Sport Basic Plan formulated (to FY2021) Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education formulated (to FY2022) 2018 First Basic Plan on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2022) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 05 EDUCATION Promoting Educational Reform The Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education was formulated (Cabinet decision in June 2018) based on the Basic Act on Education. MEXT promotes education policy, focused on maximizing possibilities and chances for individuals, toward the era of the 100-year lifetime and Society 5.0 (super smart society). The ministry will promote educational reform in a timely fashion, while promptly ascertaining changes in the Education educational environment in Japan, including an aging and shrinking population, rapid technological innovation, further globalization and informatization. It is indispensable to promote policy making based on comprehensive Policy Bureau and objective evidence (evidence-based policy making: EBPM) in order to effectively and surely implement education policy. In addition to core statistical surveys, such as the School Basic Survey and the Social Education Survey, MEXT conducts the National Assessment of Academic Promoting the entirety of Ability and surveys concerning education in foreign countries. education policy com pre hen- sive ly in a cross-sectoral manner to develop an environment to Fostering Specialized Human Resources Who Support Education enable people to learn as Strengthened efforts to foster specialists who support education are needed and live a fruitful life indispensable for surely implementing education policy. The enhancement of school education largely depends on the quality and abilities of teachers, who directly play the central role, and therefore, In order to realize the concept of lifelong improving teachers' quality and abilities is a significant policy issue for learning prescribed in the Basic Act on enhancing education for children. MEXT will steadily reform the fostering,