Abstract
This paper is aimed at critically examining "the Standards of a Fine-arts Course" developed by the Chinese Educational Department in 2001. First, "the Standards of a Fine-arts Course" and "Guidelines for Teaching" in China and Japan are compared. Second, the descriptions of both the Chinese and Japanese guidelines are compared. It is concluded that Japanese education emphasizes "education through art" more than Chinese education. As a result of comparing and examining the revised plans of both countries in terms of "expression" and "appreciation" domains, it became clear that there are differences with regard to "playing through art", "appreciation", and "integrated studies." In China, there is less concrete interpretation as regards the overall target, and it is hard to understand the purpose of fine-arts education correctly and deeply. It might cause the problem that it is difficult for teachers to utilize and realize the standards.
