Cover not available
Article published In:
Australian Review of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 30:2 (2007) ► pp.20.1–20.16

The Ideology of interculturality in Japanese language-in-education policy

| University of South Australia

Language learning is frequently justified as a vehicle for promoting intercultural communication and understanding, and language-in-education policies have increasingly come to reflect this preoccupation in their rhetoric. This paper will examine the ways in which concepts relating to interculturality are constructed in Japanese language policy documents. It will explore in particular the ways in which ideologies of nationalism and Japanese identity have an impact on understandings of the nature and purpose of interculturality and how these are developed discursively in Japanese language-in-education policy documents. Language policies construct a discourse of interculturality which focuses on the development of a nationalistic adherence to a particular conceptualisation of Japanese identity, which is unique, homogenous, and monolithic. These themes will be discussed in the contexts of Japanese policy documents relating to foreign language teaching and Japanese language spread.

Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at [email protected].

Published online: 1 January 2007
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.2104/aral0720
References
Befu, H.
1993 ‘Nationalism and nihonjinron’. In Cultural nationalism in East Asia: Representation and identity, edited by Befu, H. Berkeley, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies.Google Scholar
2001 Hegemony of homogeneity: An anthropological analysis of Nihonjinron. Melbourne: Trans Pacific Press.Google Scholar
Bhabha, H.
1992 ‘Post-colonial authority and post-modern guilt’. In Cultural studies, edited by Grossberg, L.; Nelson, P.; Treichler, P.. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Byram, M.
1989 Cultural studies in foreign language education. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Considine, M.
1994 Public policy. A critical approach. Melbourne: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Crozet, C.; Liddicoat, A. J.; Lo Bianco, J.
1999 ‘Intercultural competence: From language policy to language education’. In Striving for the third place: Intercultural competence through language education, edited by Crozet, C.; Liddicoat, A. J.; Lo Bianco, J. Canberra: Language Australia.Google Scholar
Dale, P.
1986 The myth of Japanese uniqueness. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Eastman, C. M.
1983 Language planning: An introduction. San Francisco: Chandler and Sharp.Google Scholar
Ehara, T.
1992 ‘The internationalization of education’. In The internationalization of Japan, edited by Hook, G.; Weiner, M.. London & New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Gjerde, P; Onishi, M.
2000 ‘Selves, cultures, and nations: The psychological imagination of “the Japanese” in the era of globalization’. Human Development 431: 216–226. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hashimoto, K.
2000 ‘“Internationalization” is “Japanisation”: Japan's foreign language education and national identity’. Journal of Intercultural Studies 21 (1): 39–51. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Johnson, C.
1983 ‘The internationalization of the Japanese economy’. In The challenge of Japan’s internationalization: Organization and culture, edited by Mannari, H.; Befu, H. New York and Hyogo: Kodansha International Ltd and Kwansei Gakuin University. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kaplan, R. B., and Baldauf, R. B.
1997 Language planning: From practice to theory. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Kosaku, Y.
1992 Cultural nationalism in contemporary Japan: A sociological enquiry. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Kramsch, C.
1993 Context and culture in language education. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Kramsch, C; Holden, T.
1994 ‘Redefining literacy in a foreign language’. Die Unterrichtspraxis 27 (1), 28–35. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kubota, R.
2002 ‘The impact of globalization on language teaching in Japan’. In Globalization and language teaching, edited by Block, D.; Cameron, D. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Liddicoat, A.
2004 ‘The conceptualisation of the cultural component of language teaching in Australian language-in-education policy’. Journal of multilingual and multicultural development 25 (4): 297–317. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2005 ‘Culture for language learning in Australian language-in-education policy’. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 28 (2): 1–28. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Liddicoat, A.; Crozet, C.; Lo Bianco, J.
1999 ‘Striving for the third place: Consequences and implications’. In Striving for the third place intercultural competence through language education, edited by Lo Bianco, J.; Liddicoat, A.; Crozet, C. Canberra: Language Australia.Google Scholar
Maher, J.; Yashiro, K.
1995 ‘Multilingual Japan: An introduction’. In Multilingual Japan, edited by Maher, J.; Yashiro, K. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Masden, K.
1997 ‘The impact of Ministry of Education policy on pluralism in Japanese education: An examination of recent issues’. In Emerging pluralism in Asia and the Pacific, edited by Wu, D.; McQueen, H.; Yamanoto, Y. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.Google Scholar
MEXT
2004a REX: ‘Regional and educational exchanges for mutual understanding’ [Japanese]. Accessed 9 September 2005. Available from: [URL].
2004b REX: ‘Kinds of activities done under the REX Program’ [Japanese]. Accessed 9 September 2005. Available from: [URL].
2004c ‘Pre-departure intensive training program’ [Japanese]. Accessed 9 September 2005. Available from: [URL].
Miller, R.
1982 Japan’s modern myth: The language and beyond. New York and Tokyo: Weatherhill.Google Scholar
Monbusho
2002a ‘The course of study for lower secondary school: Foreign languages’. Japan: MEXT. Accessed 12 August 2004. Available from: [URL].
2002b ‘The course of study for lower secondary school: Foreign languages’ [Japanese]. Japan: MEXT. Accessed 12 August 2004.Google Scholar
2002c ‘Developing a strategic plan to cultivate ‘Japanese With English Abilities’ to improve English and Japanese abilities’ [Japanese]. Japan: MEXT. Accessed 12 August 2004. Available from: [URL].
Morita, T.
1988 Education reform and studies of Japanese people and culture [Japanese]. Tokyo: Shin Nihon Shuppansha.Google Scholar
Mouer, R.; Sugimoto, Y.
1986 Images of Japanese society: A study on the structure of social reality. London and New York: Kegan Paul International.Google Scholar
Murphy-Shigematsu, S.
1993 ‘Multiethnic Japan and the monoethnic myth’. MELUS 18 (4): 63–80. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2002 ‘Multiethnic Japan’. Social Science Journal Japan 15 (54): 45–45i.Google Scholar
Nagata, Y.
1995 ‘The “culture” of Japanese language teaching in Australia’. Japanese Studies 15 (2): 1–15. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Nakamura, K.
2002 ‘Cultivating global literacy through English as an international language (EIL) education in Japan: A new paradigm for global education’. International Education Journal 31: 64–74.Google Scholar
Ogoura, K.
2004 ‘The importance of Japanese-language education around the world – helping Japan exert an even greater influence in the global community’ [Japanese]. Accessed 9 September 2005. Available from: [URL].
Schiffman, H.
1996 Linguistic culture and language policy. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Steele, R.; Suozo, A.
1994 Teaching French culture: theory and practice. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook.Google Scholar
Suzuki, T.
1995 Can Japanese become an international language? [Japanese]. Tokyo: Kodansha.Google Scholar
Toyama, A.
2002 ‘Regarding the establishment of an action plan to cultivate “Japanese with English abilities”’ [Japanese]. Accessed 12 August 2004. Available from: [URL].
Toyota, T.
1988a ‘Japanese studies for Japanese language teaching’ [Japanese]. Japanese Language Teaching 631: 16–29.Google Scholar
1988b ‘Japanese way of life in Japanese language education’ [Japanese]. Japanese Language Education 631: 16–29.Google Scholar
Yoshino, K.
1992 Cultural nationalism in contemporary Japan: A sociological enquiry. London and New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Zarate, G.
1986 Enseigner une culture étrangère. Paris: Hachette.Google Scholar
1993 Représentations de l’étranger et didactique des langues. Paris: Didier.Google Scholar
Cited by

Cited by 17 other publications

Avineri, Netta
2019. “Nested Interculturality”: Dispositions and Practices for Navigating Tensions in Immersion Experiences. In Redefining Teaching Competence through Immersive Programs, ► pp. 37 ff. DOI logo
Bouchard, Jeremie
2017. Methodological Groundwork. In Ideology, Agency, and Intercultural Communicative Competence [Intercultural Communication and Language Education, ], ► pp. 121 ff. DOI logo
Bouchard, Jeremie
2017. Nihonjinron, Native-Speakerism, and EFL Classroom Discourse and Practice. In Ideology, Agency, and Intercultural Communicative Competence [Intercultural Communication and Language Education, ], ► pp. 209 ff. DOI logo
Bouchard, Jeremie
2017. Nihonjinron, Native-Speakerism, and Recent MEXT Policies on EFL Education. In Ideology, Agency, and Intercultural Communicative Competence [Intercultural Communication and Language Education, ], ► pp. 159 ff. DOI logo
Bouchard, Jeremie
2017. ICC, Nihonjinron and Native-Speakerism. In Ideology, Agency, and Intercultural Communicative Competence [Intercultural Communication and Language Education, ], ► pp. 19 ff. DOI logo
Katsara, Ourania
2020. Towards Building Intercultural Competence for Greek and International ERASMUS Students. In Rethinking Education Across Borders, ► pp. 289 ff. DOI logo
Kirkpatrick, Andy & Anthony J. Liddicoat
2017. Language education policy and practice in East and Southeast Asia. Language Teaching 50:2 ► pp. 155 ff. DOI logo
Liddicoat, Anthony J. & Kerry Taylor-Leech
2021. Agency in language planning and policy. Current Issues in Language Planning 22:1-2 ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
McAlinden, Maggie
2014. Can Teachers Know Learners’ Minds? Teacher Empathy and Learner Body Language in English Language Teaching. In Critical Perspectives on Language Education [Multilingual Education, 11], ► pp. 71 ff. DOI logo
Munezane, Yoko
2023. Interculturality in language education in the Japanese context. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Ong, Teresa Wai See
2022. ‘No Face Mask, No Entry!’: Dissecting Multilingual COVID-19 Related Public Health Signs in Penang, Malaysia. In COVID-19 and a World of Ad Hoc Geographies, ► pp. 2413 ff. DOI logo
O’Neill, Fiona
2020. Language, Professional Expertise and Identity. In The Intercultural Professional, ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
O’Neill, Fiona
2020. The Intercultural Professional: Rewriting the Self. In The Intercultural Professional, ► pp. 213 ff. DOI logo
Pigott, Julian
2015. English-as-Panacea: Untangling Ideology from Experience in Compulsory English Education in Japan. In Resistance to the Known, ► pp. 216 ff. DOI logo
Premaratne, Dilhara D.
2015. Globalisation, language planning and language rights: the recent script policy measures adopted by Japan and the People's Republic of China. Current Issues in Language Planning 16:4 ► pp. 425 ff. DOI logo
Rivers, Damian J.
2020. Contributions of National Identity and Personality to Foreign Language Communication and Contact Attitudes in Japan. Journal of Language, Identity & Education 19:6 ► pp. 379 ff. DOI logo
Taira, Kazufumi
2019. A systematic form of Japanization in Okinawa: Japanese identity construction through a Japanization discourse in textbooks and a textbook guide. International Studies in Sociology of Education 28:2 ► pp. 110 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 28 march 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.