EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM & PRACTICE IN JAPAN

41	“III Japanese Social Education”	Previous	Next	JAPANESE

	Recently, especially in urban areas, private companies such as newspaper firms, broadcasters, or department stores, have opened cultural centers to provide opportunities for education, culture, and sports businesses (courses) to the public with a charge. Private social education businesses such as cultural centers offer diverse and creative learning opportunities with flexible ideas. Although they differ in degree between regions, private social education businesses play extremely important roles in supporting diverse lifelong learning activities for residents. Under the the notice by the head of the lifelong learning department of MEXT, ‘Interpretations regarding private profit social education businesses in the Social Education Law’ issued in September, 1995, MEXT announced its view that ‘social education’ defined in Article 2 of the Social Education Law includes organized educational activities by private businesses and the use of citizens’ public halls by private profit social education businesses.