GENERAL ASPECTS: Sex Education in Japan

The purpose of the present paper is to illustrate sex education in Japan, shedding light on its historical background. Firstly, the ideas of sex education and the social environments from the Edo period up to modern times are mentioned. Secondly, the current sexual activities of young people, based on nation-wide sampling surveys, are discussed. Geographical variation of teenage fertility in Japan is shown as well. Finally, the paper describes the recent activities of the educational profession in sex education and the measures taken by the Administration to cope with the rise in teenage pregnancies.