Present situation of political socialization In elementary and secondary schools in Japan, political socialization is being done mainly in the social studies education for the purpose of cultivating political culture, from the standpoint of political neutrality, which is provided by the School Education Law to be observed in school education. Such education aims at cultivating cooperative attitude toward democracy, by making pupils learn democratic organization and operation of polity, according to the Japanese Constitution and through comparing it with presidential system and socialistic polity.
Under political party systm, however, the political neutrality in education is a contradiction and a strained balance on one hand. On the other hand, however, obedient attitude due to process of politicization in education and the backwardness of politics in Japan are ref tlected in the tendency toward political apathy, conservatism and self-interest of youth.
Political consciousness of youth According to the result of public opinion polls which have been conducted for the last six years, many young people in their twenties are pro-Conservative Party. The political consciousness of such youth is not sufficiently mature. On the surface, they are progressive, but they are satisfied, in their consciousness toward life, with their private lives, have little knowledge of basic principles of democracy and policies of political parties, and have uncertain attitude as to the support of political party.
There are progressive people who point out the structural mechanisms of political rottenness in Japan and insist on t he improvement of political constitution. But they are university students and other intellectual minority, whose opinion and action tend to be formal and impractical. Youth and Political education Under democracy it is to be required in future that political parties, economic organizations, labor unions and others provide youth with systematic and formal political education. If this is to be full achieved, it is important for scientific research and surveys on the organization, operation and content of political education for youth to be made. Thus it is necessary to establish a methodology for such research and surveys.
