Lessons from Japanese Educational Development Experiences: Comparison of Enrolment Status Between Developing Countries and the Meiji of Japan

The Japanese educational experience is often referenced in evaluations of national educational challenges. That is because Japan achieved universal basic education relatively quickly due to proactive educational reforms, even though Japan was on par with developing countries only 150 years ago. This study first reviews Japan’s educational development from the early Meiji era, when modern schooling was introduced, to the post-World War II period, particularly about changes in school enrolment. In addition, various historical documents are reviewed, providing a detailed picture of the actual enrolment status of children at the time. The study specifically focused on grade repetition, school dropout, child labour, gender gap and regional differences in education to capture the actual enrolment status in Japan. Furthermore, based on these discussions, common issues in educational development between Japan and developing countries and Japan-specific educational experiences are summarised. Finally, the chapter will examine how developing countries can utilise Japan’s educational experiences to achieve SDG4.