Abstract
The Cooperative Extension Service has an eighty year history of providing community-based lifelong education including consumer education. It serves to improve the quality of life of rural homes and communities, and to widen its range to urban areas as new problems confront the nation.
One of the keys to the success of Cooperative Extension Service has been its unique structure as a partnership among the federal government, state land-grant universities, and local counties with strong assistance of local volunteers, which multiply the impact of the Cooperative Extension Service.
Another key to its success has been the 4-H activities which lead an increase of future local volunteers.
Therefore, an efficient network with strong volunteer support is suggested for the Japanese lifelong education system. It is also suggested that consumer education for youth should beheld not only at school but also out of school, such as 4‐H activities in this study.
