Chronology of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT)
| 1871 | Ministry of Education established |
| 1872 | Promulgation of the school system |
| 1947 | The Basic Act on Education, School Education Law enacted |
| 1949 | Scientific Technical Administration Committee established |
| 1950 | Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties enacted Protection of Cultural Properties Committee established (external bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science and Technology) |
| 1956 | Science and Technology Agency established (external bureau of the Prime Minister’s Office) |
| 1959 | Council for Science and Technology Policy established |
| 1961 | Sports Promotion Law enacted |
| 1964 | Tokyo Olympics held |
| 1968 | Agency for Cultural Affairs established (merging of the Protection of Cultural Properties Committee and the Ministry of Education Cultural Affairs Bureau) |
| 1972 | Sapporo Olympics held |
| 1984 | National Council on Education Reform established (to 1987) |
| 1995 | The Science and Technology Basic Law |
| 1996 | The First Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2000) |
| 1998 | Nagano Olympics held |
| 2000 | The Basic Plan for the Promotion of Sports formulated (to FY2011) |
| 2001 | MEXT established (merging of the Ministry of Education, Science Sports and Culture and the Science and Technology Agency) Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts enacted The Second Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2005) |
| 2002 | The First Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2006) Five-day week system implemented for schools |
| 2006 | The Third Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2010) Revision of the Basic Act on Education enacted |
| 2007 | The Second Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2010) |
| 2008 | The First Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education formulated (to FY2012) |
| 2011 | The Third Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2015) The Fourth Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2015) The Basic Act on Sport enacted |
| 2012 | The Sport Basic Plan formulated |
| 2013 | The Second Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education formulated (to FY2017) |
| 2015 | The Fourth Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2020) Japan Sports Agency established (external bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology |
| 2016 | The Fifth Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2020) |
| 2017 | The Sport Basic Plan formulated (to FY2021) |
| 2018 | Basic Plan on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2022) |
| 2021 | Chapter II Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan formulated (to FY2025) Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games held |
| 2022 | The Sport Basic Plan formulated (to FY2026) |
| 2023 | Basic Plan on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2027) Agency for Cultural Affairs relocation to Kyoto The Second Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education formulated (to FY2027) |