How Much of Education Should Belong to the State?

Chapter 1: My Wife and the “Too Much Homework!” Complaint

The other day, my wife was helping our grandkid with homework and muttered, “This is too much! Poor kids.” But just a few days later, she sighed, “Kids these days can’t even write proper kanji.”

Which is it, really? We complain when the workload is heavy, then worry when results don’t show. Families, like schools, are caught in a tug-of-war between “freedom” and “results.”

And perhaps that’s the root of Japan’s education problem today.

Chapter 2: A System Without a Vision

Postwar Japan positioned education as a state responsibility. The Basic Act on Education even mentions “improving the character of the people.” But somewhere along the way, we narrowed that down to “knowledge and skills.”

Teaching children how to live as Japanese citizens, what it means to be part of a society—those deeper values have been quietly pushed aside.

Some administrations tried to restore that: reevaluating the Imperial Rescript on Education, introducing moral education, and inserting words like “patriotism” and “love for one’s homeland” into the law. But such efforts were met with accusations of militarism and regression, often amplified by the media and intellectuals.

Don’t get me wrong—postwar reflection is important. But when reflection becomes rejection, and we bury the value of loving one’s country… well, that’s a mistake, isn’t it?

Chapter 3: Tossed Between “Cramming” and “Relaxed Learning”

My wife also says, “It was stricter back in my day, but we learned properly.” Today’s students have swung from “relaxed learning” to “back to basics,” unsure of what to believe or aim for.

We talk about “academic ability,” but it’s all reading scores and math reasoning from PISA tests. Meanwhile, the core of being human—the ability to keep thinking, to keep asking questions—is fading.

And then we tell them to compete with AI and global talent? That’s asking a lot.

Chapter 4: Why China’s Elites Are Flocking to Japan

Let me shift gears to something concrete.

The University of Tokyo and Kyoto University are seeing more Chinese international students. In fact, over 40% of foreign students in Japan come from China, and many receive scholarships, tuition waivers, and living stipends.

My wife grumbled, “Why are we giving more support to foreign students than our own kids?” And I thought, there’s something upside-down about that.

For elite Chinese students, Japanese universities are easier to enter than China’s top schools. Clean air, safe streets, modern facilities—it’s an ideal place to learn and live. Many come with hopes of staying for good.

So while Japan becomes a hub for “intellectual immigration,” its own youth lack clear purpose or drive. That imbalance? It’s dangerous.

Chapter 5: Cultivating the Soil to Bear a Nation

Education isn’t just about cramming facts. It should foster the courage to carry a nation.

But today, we’ve stripped away the invisible lessons—pride in being Japanese, the duty to improve society, the meaning of learning history.

Even talking about the “nation” is taboo. Mention patriotism, and people shout “right-wing!” Raise the flag, and they call it militarism. This mindset has seeped into both schools and media.

At this rate, schools won’t build the nation—they’ll just outsource it.

Chapter 6: The System Fatigue in Education

Teachers are breaking down too. Buried in paperwork, enforcing outdated school rules, juggling club supervision and discipline… actual teaching prep comes last.

My wife says, “Don’t teachers get lots of time off?” But in reality, many say, “We never truly get a break.”

No room to support students. No time to revise lessons. Teachers, too, are victims of a broken system. And this won’t be fixed by tweaking workflows alone.

Chapter 7: Redefine Education as a National Endeavor

Here’s my final point: education isn’t a “public service” or “bureaucratic task.” It’s the foundation of the nation—and the future we must invest in fully.

We need to restore a sense of national vision in education, rebuild the partnership between families and schools, reconsider foreign student policies, and refocus on nurturing our own youth.

When my wife sighed, “Kids these days don’t seem to dream anymore,” I thought to myself: maybe it’s because we haven’t given them the soil to plant those dreams in.

Education is a mirror reflecting the future. The question is—what do the state, society, and families want to see staring back?