Two boats that capsized and were then transported to Henoko Fishing Port by the Japan Coast Guard are seen in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, March 16, 2026. (Mainichi/Shinnosuke Kyan)
Following an accident in which two boats capsized off the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, resulting in the deaths of a boat captain and a student at Doshisha International Senior High School, the education ministry has instructed the school to correct its curriculum, stating it violated the Basic Act on Education. This is the first time a violation has been recognized since the law was enacted in 1947. It is hard to shake concerns that this will have a chilling effect on peace education efforts in Japan.
As part of a peace studies program, students in boats observed the coastal site where U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is due to be relocated. The ministry claims that the program lacked political neutrality. Its reasons included that the deceased boat captain had joined protests against the relocation and that there was no evidence the school had covered perspectives other than the Okinawa Prefectural Government’s opposition to the project in pre-trip lessons.
But is it not reckless to go so far as to declare this a violation of the Basic Act on Education based solely on these points? The law prohibits schools from supporting or opposing a specific political party, but it is not appropriate to seize on an individual lesson and draw a conclusion from that alone. The ministry states that it “considered the matter comprehensively,” but it has not presented sufficient grounds. In the first place, judgments about what counts as “political neutrality” are susceptible to arbitrariness. It is questionable whether the central government and ruling coalition, which are promoting the relocation work, can maintain a fair stance.
Education minister Yohei Matsumoto stated, “I do not believe this will have any chilling effect at all.” Yet not only in Okinawa but also among teachers engaged in peace education in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bewildered voices have arisen, with educators asking, “Won’t this make it harder to address war and politics in class?”
With the lowering of the voting age to 18 from 20, the importance of education for sovereign citizens has increased. To make independent decisions as voters, students need exposure to diverse perspectives. Exclusion of views critical of the government must not be allowed.
The ministry’s investigation uncovered the sloppiness of the school’s safety management. The school had not conducted even a single preliminary inspection, and it had given no safety instructions before boarding. The job of authorities is to correct such problems and ensure the safety of off-campus activities.
The Basic Act on Education was born out of reflection on prewar education, which made service to the state obligatory. “Democracy,” a textbook the Ministry of Education published in 1948 for junior high and high school students, states that controlling education based on the policies that happen to be in place from time to time is a “source of great error.”
Those in power should refrain from intervening in educational content.
AloJapan.com