Progressive Struggle and Critical Education Scholarship in Japan: Toward the Democratization of Critical Education Studies

This chapter presents and overview of progressive struggle and critical scholarship in Japanese education. In so doing, I focus on the Western influence in the development of Japanese critical education and practice. This focus on the transnational flow of influence in progressive politics and theory is important to recognize but has been understudied in critical education scholarship. Progressive activists in different parts of the world are in constant dialogue with each other in developing their practice and scholarship. This deserves serious attention, particularly when remarkably similar conservative political movements attempt to fundamentally alter the nature of public education in many parts of the world (Apple, 2006a; Takayama & Apple, 2008; Whitty, Power, & Halpin, 1998), and thus when global progressive coalitions against the rightist re-structuring of public education are needed more than ever.