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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION,SCIENCE AND CULTURE1991 > PART1 PART1A Chapter1 �3

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PART 1 SPORTS AND HEALTH
PART 1 A Promotion of Physical Education and Sports
Chapter 1 Promotion of Physical Education and Sports
�3 Promotion of Physical Education and Sports - A Brief History


From the post-World War 2 recovery period to the present day, Japan has experienced a tremendous development in sports activities. This development has occurred along side social changes such as rapid economic growth, rise in the living standard, urbanization, increased leisure time, the aging of society, etc. The following is a summary of the development of Japan's recent sports history. This development is encapsulated here into 10 year periods after World War 2 with emphasis placed on government policy.

1 Sports during the Post-War Recovery Period (1945-1954)

With the close of World War 2 in 1945, amidst the loss and destruction of war, sports brought courage and a ray of hope to the dejected and destitute spirits of the Japanese people.

In 1946 the First National Athletic Festival was held under the sponsorship of the Greater Japan Amateur Sports Association (the precursor of the present day Japan Amateur Sports Association) with 5,377 athletes from all over Japan participating. Kyoto was chosen as the main site of these 1st Games because the city had escaped severe bombing damage from the war. Later in 1949, Hironoshin Furuhashi, nicknamed the "flying fish from Fujiyama" performed brilliantly at the All American Swimming Champion Series. In 1951, Japan participated in the 1st Asian Games, and in 1952, the 15th Olympiad (the first Olympics which Japan participated in after the war), and also in the same year, the 6th Winter Olympics. In the case of professional sports, both baseball and Sumo were revived as professional sports in 1945. From 1955, to the present, the National Athletic Festival has been sponsored jointly by the Japan Amateur Sports Association, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and the local host prefecture.

On the part of the national government, the "Social Education Law" was established in June 1949. Thereafter, physical education and recreation activities were designated as a part of "social education" under this law. More specifically, it clarified the legal basis for carrying out "social-physical education" activities, i.e., organized athletic activities mainly for youth and adults (excluding educational activities held at school). This law also enabled national and local governments to promote the necessary conditions for "social-physical education" as a part of social education.

The new post-war school physical education policy guidelines and content were made clear in 1947 with the governmental establishment of the Course of Study for Physical Education in School. In regard to content and activities of physical education, reforms were made to avoid excessively formal and rigid rule-based teaching and training and more importance was placed on young pupils' spontaneity. Consequently, the former emphasis placed on gymnastic exercises was shifted to sports and games. There were also changes in the status of traditional martial arts activities. For a time after the close of the war, the teaching of traditional martial arts was discontinued at schools, but after revisions were made in the rules of competition, Judo became established both as an in-school sport and as an extra-curricular club activity in 1950, followed by Kyudo (traditional Japanese archery) and Kendo (traditional Japanese fencing).

2 Sports and Social Physical Education Promotion and the Enactment of a Sports Promotion Law (1955-1964)

In the period between 1955 to 1964, particularly after the first half of the 1960's, Japan's economy began to grow at a rapid rate accompanied by fast-paced social development. This was a boom era with a great increase in the general public's interest in sports. Sports heroes such as Shigeo Nagashima and Sadaharu Oh heightened the popularity of professional baseball; Tochinishiki and Wakanohana did the same for Sumo. Concurrent with this rise in popularity was the need for improvements in sports facilities and the urgent task of training sports leaders and coaches as more and more people began to actually participate in sports. In answer to these needs, the Ministry began to provide funding for public sports facilities from 1959. Beginning with swimming pools and gymnasiums, this support has expanded to include a wider range of facilities.

With the rise in standard of income and the wide-spread development of sports and recreation, there was a call for improvements in the administrative structure for managing sports and sports events. Thus in order to strengthen the development of an integrated policy for promoting sports events and activities such as the 3rd Asian Games, bringing the Olympics to Japan, improving physical education in schools and "social-physical education," the Bureau of Physical Education and Sports, abolished in 1949, was re-established in 1958. Thus, in June 1961 a "Sports Promotion Law" was enacted in order to encourage sports throughout Japan. This law is of great significance in that it clarified the legal basis for a sports promotion policy. With the goal of contributing to healthier mental and physical development and a happier and more fulfilling life for the nation's citizens, this law clearly spelled out that it is the duty of national and local governments to carry out policy for sports promotion. Furthermore, this law has facilitated the promotion of sports through the creation of a system for maintaining and improving sports facilities, establishing the position of physical education advisor at municipal boards of education and providing guidelines for organizing and funding the National Athletic Festival.

As for physical education in schools, through complete revisions of the Courses of Study in 1958 and 1960, the goals and content of health and physical education classes were made consistent throughout elementary, lower and upper secondary schools. Rapid improvements were also made in major school sports facilities such as gymnasiums, swimming pools etc., during this period.

3 Hosting the Tokyo Olympic Games (1964)

Hosting the Olympics was a long-cherished desire for Japan. The 1940 Olympics were scheduled to be held in Japan, but were canceled due to the war. The dream was finally realized, however, at the International Olympic Committee General Assembly in 1959 when Tokyo was declared the host of the 18th Olympic Games. Japan thus became the first Asian nation to host the Olympics thereby greatly stimulating the country's interest in sports during this era. The Tokyo Olympics were held in October 1964, principally at the National Stadium with 5,586 athletes participating, representing a total of 94 countries. The main grounds and facilities for the Olympics were greatly expanded and improved from their previous state during the 1958 Asian Games. Seating was constructed for 72,000 spectators and a comprehensive indoor sports facility for basketball and swimming was constructed at Yoyogi.

At the 1964 Olympics, Japan claimed an impressive total of 29 medals. With the momentum from the Olympics, Japan made great strides in increasing its level of competitiveness, and public interest in sports increased even more. During this time remarkable progress was also being accomplished in sports science research. Those facilities which were improved for Olympic use were maintained and kept open to the public. They have played a role in both promoting sports activities and raising the competitive level of sports in Japan. Moreover, on the site of the former Women's Olympic Village grounds there is now a training and lodging facility for youth known as the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center.

To commemorate the brilliant achievements at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, a special Japanese national holiday, "Health-Sports Day" was created in 1966. It falls on October 10th, the date of the opening ceremony of the Games and is designated as a day for enjoying sports and cultivating a healthy mind and body.

4 Rapid Economic Growth and Sports (1965-1974)

This decade witnessed rapid economic growth and an accompanying change in lifestyle. People were getting less exercise during their daily routines and this, coupled with problems such as pollution and the destruction of the natural environment, served to raise public consciousness about health. Furthermore, improvements in the living standard and increased leisure time encouraged a rapid increase in the public demand for sports.

To cope with these developments, in December 1972, the Health and Physical Education Council submitted a report to the Minister of Education, Science and Culture entitled "Basic Policy for Widely Promoting Physical Education and Sports." This report set forth fundamental new policy directions for the wide-spread promotion of physical education and sports. It also suggested the following five wide-ranging concrete policy measures:

l) Establishing standards for developing sports facilities according to population scale

2) Increasing the number of classes for sports instruction in order to promote increased participation in physical education and sports

3) Training and securing positions for sports instructors

4) Establishing systems for conducting research related to physical education and sports

5) Securing and managing necessary funding

In accordance with these measures, the Ministry is endeavoring to promote policies for improving sports facilities in cooperation with local governments and sports associations.

In the case of physical education in schools, through revisions in the Courses of Study from 1968-1970, "physical education" was added as an item in the General Provisions. In order to actualize a balanced and consistent curriculum promoting proper character formation, emphasis was put on enriching physical education instruction--not only through course-work but also as an integral part of overall school education activities.

In 1972, the first Winter Olympics in Asia was held in Sapporo City. There were 1,128 athletes participating, representing 35 countries. These Olympic Games provided an opportunity for building world-class competitive sports facilities and served to raise the level of interest in winter sports. The success of this event, along with that of the Tokyo Olympics, further heightened international recognition of Japan.

5 Diversification of Sports and Enrichment of Physical Education in Schools (1975-1984)

The mid-l970's was the starting point for diversification of sports in Japan, witnessed by a rise in the number of private tennis, swimming and other sport club facilities being opened. This was also a growth period for jogging, aerobics, and gateball (a game similar to croquet). Moreover, during this era, Sadaharu Oh setting a new world home-run record and was presented with the National Medal of Honor in 1977.

In 1975, a system was initiated for dispatching prefectural social education directors specializing in sports to municipal boards of education in order to enrich "social-physical education" activities at the municipal level and to facilitate a wider promotion of sports activities for local citizens.

In regard to physical education in schools, the Courses of Study were revised again in 1977 and 1978. Elementary school activities were relegated according to the developmental stages of children so that children could properly enjoy sports and acquire fundamental skills. For the lower grades (1st and 2nd) and middle grades (3rd and 4th) "basics of sports" were emphasized to enable children to learn basic exercises and the fundamental movements for various types of sports, as were competitive group games such as dodge ball. For lower secondary schools, different types of sports were regrouped and consolidated into several areas in order to make instruction more effective and educational arrangements more flexible.

At upper secondary schools, subjects and subject areas to be taught in specialized physical education courses were clarified for the first time during this period.

Until this time, athletic meets were held only within a school at the elementary level and within a prefecture at the lower secondary school level. In order to increase the level of activity at these lower grade levels and maintain educational appropriateness, in 1979 standards were revised, expanding the sphere of competition as a part of school education activities. Elementary school level competition was expanded to include city-wide meets and competitive events with neighboring municipalities. At the lower secondary level, the competitive sphere was enlarged so that students could participate in regional meets or national events.

In 1981 the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya (Kagoshima, Japan), the first national higher educational institution principally devoted to social-physical education and the practical training of physical education / sports coaches and leaders was established; it began accepting students in 1984.

6 Sports Promotion Policy - Towards the 21st Century (1985 and beyond)

Since 1985, as Japan continues to urbanize, as the amount of leisure time has grown and as the proportion of the aged in the population continues to rise, both the frequency and diversification of the publics' demand for sports have increased. To cope with these changes, the promotion of "sports-for-all" ("lifelong sports") activities has become a major national issue.

For competitive sports, in the midst of dramatically rising standards in international competition, Japan's relative competitiveness has decreased. Revitalizing the nation's competitiveness has thus become an important task.

Under these circumstances, in April of 1987, the National Council on Educational Reform submitted its 3rd Report in which the following points were set down.

1) Improving facilities, raising the quality of sports leaders, developing sports programs to facilitate sports activities for diverse living environments and for individuals with varying degrees of physical strength and healthiness

2) Promoting sports activities for youth with the goal of raising the quality of competitive sports, establishment of a system for coaching and leadership and promoting international exchange

3) Promoting research in sports medicine and sports science

Furthermore in its March 1988 report, an advisory council to the Prime Minister, the "Sports Promotion Advisory Council" stipulated the necessity for 1) raising the social evaluation of sports 2) training and securing sports coaches and leaders 3) enriching sports facilities and 4) taking measures to fund promotional sports activities etc.

Following these recommendations and other developments, in April 1987 the Ministry asked the Health and Physical Education Council to deliberate on "Strategies for the Promotion of Sports in light of the 21st Century" and received its report in November of 1989. This report developed out of an earlier (1972) report and emphasized the significance of widely promoting both competitive sports and "sports-for-all". The report also set down the following fundamental guidelines for sports promotion policy for the 21st century.

1) To provide guidelines for the improvement of sports facilities for local governments as one means of enriching sports facilities

2) Enrichment of sports-for-all by promoting the spread of a wide range of sports events and activities, training sports leaders etc.

3) Promoting competitive sports through raising the quality of sports leaders, establishing leadership systems and encouraging research in sports science

4) Promoting international exchange in sports

5) Encouraging the healthy development of professional sports

6) Securing funds for sports promotion activities

Several new and epoch making items included in the report were as follows: the emphasis placed on sports as a vital part of "human culture," mention of spectator sports in light of their role as a life-enriching activity and mention of professional sports.

In order to meet the growing and diversifying public demand for sports and improve the competitive level of the nation's athletes, it became necessary for the Ministry to take positive measures to cope with these changes. In July 1988, the Ministry restructured one of its administrative divisions dealing with sports into two separate divisions; a "Sports-for-All" (lifelong sports) division and a "Competitive Sports" division. Administrational affairs are now carried out systematically and independently within each respective division. Presently, various policy measures are being carried out in order to accomplish the goals set down in the 1989 Report from the Health and Physical Education Council. Moreover, two organizations, the National Stadium and the Japan School Health Association, because of their close relations in widely promoting public health and physical fitness, merged into a special legal corporation called the "National Stadium and School Health Center of Japan" in March of 1986.

In regard to sports organizations, for many years the governing organization in Japan's sports world has been the Japan Amateur Sports Association. This organization once carried the dual responsibility of promoting competitive sports and sports for the general public. However, with the slump in Japan's overall performance in the 1988 Seoul Olympics a reorganization of the Japan Amateur Sports Association was carried out principally as an attempt to raise the level of Japan's competitiveness. A former committee within the Japan Amateur Sports Association, the Japanese Olympic Committee, was made an independent body and became a single legal corporation. In this new system, an independent Japanese Olympic Committee is now responsible for raising the nation's international competitive level and the Japan Amateur Sports Association is primarily in charge of promoting sports for the general public.

As for associations related to professional sports, the Japan Professional Sports Association was made a legal corporation in December 1990 and now serves as the governing organization in this area of sports.

7 Establishing a Sports Promotion Fund (1990)

The establishment of a sports promotion fund with a financially sound and continuous base to further the promotion of sports throughout the country, raise the level of competitiveness and expand the view of the nation's citizens toward sports, has been a long awaited hope of the snorts world in particular and the rest of the nation as well.

These hopes were realized when governmental funds were appropriated from the 1990 supplementary budget for the establishment of a Sports Promotion Fund in the National Stadium and School Health Center of Japan. Following some amendments in the Center's Law, a Sports Promotion Fund was established in December of 1990. The working profits derived from the Fund aid in paying for the cost of training athletes as well as other activities of sports organizations. The Fund has definitely strengthened the nation's support system for sports promotion.


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