The Changes of Japan’s Global Competence Education Policies: An Analysis Based on Historical Institutionalism

Abstract

Japan’s global competence education policy has been changing, adjusting and improving with the changes of the situation at home and abroad in the past 70 years, and has formed a relatively mature system. Based on the historical institutionalism, this paper analyzes the historical evolution and institutional logic of Japan’s global competence education policy, and finds that over the past 70 years, Japan’s global competence education policy has gone through three stages: the initial exploration period catering to the international mainstream, the comprehensive development period facing internationalization, and the promotion and innovation period seeking international leadership. From the perspective of change path, Japan was defeated in World War II, becoming the world’s second largest economic power and Koichiro Matsuura as the eighth director general of UNESCO, which are the key nodes of the changes in Japan’s global competence education policy. From the perspective of dynamic mechanism, the change of Japan’s global competence education policy is not only dominated by the diplomatic strategy of the Japanese government, but also affected by the trend of globalization.