Japan's Sex Education at a Turning Point: 70% of Education Boards Support Expansion—Challenges and Opportunities Seen in Comparison with Overseas Models

Japan's Sex Education at a Turning Point: 70% of Education Boards Support Expansion—Challenges and Opportunities Seen in Comparison with Overseas Models

2025年06月12日 23:19

1. Overview of the Survey and Key Figures

  • Conducted by: Asahi Shimbun (June 2025)

  • Target: Boards of Education in government-designated cities, prefectural capitals, and Tokyo's 23 wards (52 responses)

  • Main Results

    • Feel the need for expansion "strongly" or "to some extent": 69%

    • Want to allow content beyond the curriculum guidelines: 50%

    • Specific themes to be addressed: sexual consent, LGBTQ+, latest contraception information, prevention of online sexual violence, etc. asahi.com



2. Gap Between Curriculum Guidelines and the Field

Japan's curriculum guidelines are primarily centered on biological matters such as "physical and mental changes during adolescence," "mechanism of fertilization and pregnancy," and "prevention of sexually transmitted diseases." Sexual consent and gender equality are not explicitly stated in the curriculum guidelines and have been left to the discretion of teachers. As a result,

  • Regional Differences in Handling: Significant variation in the availability of teaching materials and external lecturers among municipalities

  • Lack of Teacher Training: Only about 30% of health and physical education teachers have received specialized training

  • Burden of Responding to Parents: Intimidation caused by class observation movements and protests from certain groups



3. Comparison with Overseas Models

Country/RegionStarting AgeCurriculum FeaturesMain Outcomes
Netherlands4 years old"Lang Leve de Liefde" materials teach emotional expression, consent, and diversity according to ageTeen pregnancy and abortion rates are among the lowest in the worlden.wikipedia.org
Finland7 years oldContinuous instruction across science and health subjects, linking bodily changes with gender equalityDecrease in reports of sexual violence, improved attendance rates among LGBTQ+ students
Washington State, USA5 years oldCSE mandated by state law (2022).Scientific accuracy and inclusivity are legally mandated understanding of sexual consent exceeds the national average by 12 points ospi.k12.wa.us




3-1 Common Points

  • Age-appropriate spiral (repetitive deepening) structure

  • Focus on consent, rights, and diversity, with instruction on behavioral skills

  • Teacher guidelines and training systems are secured by law or administrative regulations



3-2 Differences with Japan

  • Start Time: In Japan, it becomes full-fledged from the first year of junior high school (age 12), with limited content in elementary school

  • Legal Basis: The curriculum guidelines are notification regulations, but there is no law mandating comprehensive education

  • Evaluation Method: Overseas, achievement indicators are established, but Japan lacks quantitative evaluation systems



4. Background for Expansion

  1. Changes in the Online Environment

    • The average age at which children encounter inappropriate content is 11.2 years (National Police Agency 2024 survey)

  2. Issues of Sexual Violence and Consent

    • 18% of females aged 16-18 reported experiencing "non-consensual sexual acts" (NPO survey, 2025)

  3. Gender Gap Index

    • Japan ranks 125th in the World Economic Forum's index.Information shortage is pointed out in the field of education unesco.org



5. Voices of the Board of Education and On-site Initiatives

  • Miyazaki City: Defined sex as "the power to live authentically" in classes by midwives, and set up an SNS consultation desk

  • Sapporo City: Pilot classes dealing with dating DV in high school first year and the latest contraception technology in university freshman year

  • Kanagawa Prefecture: Collaborated with LGBTQ+ centers to make teacher training mandatory



6. Challenges

ChallengesDetails
Teacher TrainingTeachers are unable to grasp the latest medical and legal systems. Securing training time and specialized qualifications is urgent
Understanding of Parents and CommunityDue to the influence of criticism of "excessive sex education" in the 2000s, there are still cases of protests during open classes
Teaching Material DevelopmentThere is a shortage of free, scientifically accurate, and gender-inclusive teaching materials.Reliance on translated materials also




7. Future Directions and Recommendations

  1. Legalization of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)

  2. Mandatory inclusion of CSE in teacher license renewal courses

  3. Third-party evaluation and evidence collection

  4. Financial measures to correct regional disparities

  5. Development of multilingual and universal design teaching materials



8. Conclusion

Education boards in Japan have begun to frankly recognize the need to expand sex education. Successful examples from abroad demonstrate the fact that a comprehensive approach centered on consent and diversity protects the health and rights of young people and promotes gender equality across society. Not only revising the curriculum guidelines but also advancing legal systems, teacher training, and public awareness in an integrated manner will address both international trends and domestic challenges.



Reference Articles and Resources List

  • Asahi Shimbun "70% of Education Boards See Need for Expanded Sex Education, Half Want to Go Beyond Guidelines" (June 12, 2025) asahi.com

  • Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction “Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Implementation” (Revised 2024) ospi.k12.wa.us

  • UNESCO “Comprehensive Sexuality Education: For healthy, informed and empowered learners” (December 2024 Edition) unesco.org

  • UNESCO Global Status Report “The Journey towards Comprehensive Sexuality Education” (2022) cdn.who.int

  • Wikipedia “Sex education – Netherlands” (Last updated May 2025) en.wikipedia.org

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