This article provides an introduction to the volume World Citizenship Education in Times of Crises: German and Japanese Perspectives by starting with a critical examination of the concepts of ‘cosmopolitan education’ and ‘global citizenship education’ and then highlighting meanings of the concept of the ‘world’ in etymology and from the perspectives of German and Japanese philosophy and pedagogy. This article outlines the volume’s aim to develop an intercultural dialog on current crises such as wars, migration, social inequalities, and climate change from an educational perspective. The concept of ‘world citizenship education’ is proposed as an alternative to concepts such as ‘cosmopolitan education’ and ‘global citizenship education.’ Finally, the article gives an overview of the contents of the volume’s contributions.