Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
文部科学省
Monbu-kagaku-shō
Agency overview
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan
Ministers responsible	Hakubun Shimomura, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Teru Fukui, Senior Vice Minister Yaichi Tanigawa, Senior Vice Minister
Website
http://www.mext.go.jp

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (文部科学省, Monbu-kagaku-shō), also known as MEXT, Monka-shō or Monbushō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.

The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871.

The Japanese government centralises education, and it is managed by a state bureaucracy that regulates almost every aspect of the education process. The School Education Law requires schools around the country to use textbooks that follow the curriculum guideline set by the ministry, although there are some exceptions.

In January 2001, the former Monbu-shō and the former Science and Technology Agency (科学技術庁, Kagaku-gijutsu-chō) merged to become the present MEXT.

MEXT is led by a minister, who is a member of the Cabinet and is chosen by the Prime Minister, typically from the members of the Diet. As of December 2012, the post is held by Hakubun Shimomura.

MEXT is one of three ministries that run the JET Programme. It also offers the Monbukagakusho Scholarship, also known as the MEXT or Monbu-shō scholarship.

Romanization

The Ministry sets standards for the romanization of Japanese.

See also

• National Spiritual Mobilization Movement
• Education in Japan
  • Fundamental Law of Education
  • History of education in Japan
• Japanese history textbook controversies

References

• Reischauer, Edwin O. and Marius Jansen. (2005), The Japanese Today. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.

External links

• Official website
• Official website (Japanese)
• Press release on Legislation of "the National University Corporation Law"