The objective of this paper is to clarify the relationship between Ethical Guidelines for Teachers (hereafter, Ethical Guidelines) and Explanatory Notes on Ethical Guidelines (hereinafter, Explanatory Notes). Specifically, the paper examines (1) by whom, (2) when, (3) why, and (4) through what process these documents were created.

As a document setting forth basic guidelines for teacher disposition and behavior, Ethical Guidelines was formulated and adopted through a formal procedure by the JTU. In July of 1951, the draft version of Ethical Guidelines, written by a number of well-known pedagogists and philosophers, was submitted to the JTU Central Executive Committee, where it was accepted as a “draft document.” Thereafter, the Ethical Guidelines “draft document” was officially adopted at the regular JTU general assembly held in June of 1952, attended by representatives of the member unions.

In contrast, Explanatory Notes was created and published without having gone through the formal approval process within the JTU. Explanatory Notes was independently prepared by the Information and Public Relations section of the JTU and published in September of 1951 as an informational pamphlet. The contents of the pamphlet were neither approved by the Central Executive Committee nor discussed at a regular general assembly. Thus, Explanatory Notes, is merely an unofficial document.

Ethical Guidelines sets forth abstract principles for teacher behavior and is written using moderate expressions from beginning to end. The Explanatory Notes, on the other hand, contains passages written in a militant style that evokes images of Marxist class struggle. For this reason, since the mid-1950s, right-wing polemicists as well as conservative government officials and politicians who disagree ideologically with the JTU have criticized the Ethical Guidelines by shining a spotlight on the Explanatory Notes.

However, as demonstrated by this paper, Ethical Guidelines and Explanatory Notes are completely unrelated documents, both in terms of how they were created and how they were approved (or not approved) by the JTU.

During the Korean War (1950-53), Misao Onda (1916-96) implemented the pedagogical method of “Seikatsu-Tsuzurikata” (life writing) at a Kawashimo secondary school in Iwakuni city, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Through an analysis of Onda’s practices, this paper examines the range of the “SeikatsuTsuzurikata” movement in the early 1950’s in relation to U.S. military base problems.

First, this paper considers Onda’s compilation process of a collection of school essays, “Delta” No. 3. It originated from his investigation of essays that reflected children’s responses to Iwakuni U.S. military base problems within “Seikatsu-Tsuzurikata” assignments. He invariably used children’s diverse insights and thoughts as a starting point for his practices. This provided an opportunity for him to relativize Cold War thought. Second, this paper analyses the nature of the content of “Delta” No. 3. Its structure has two functions. The first is to coordinate the scope of the children’s perceptions and the depth of their thoughts, the second to promote their collaboration in engaging in life in a “military base town.”

Onda’s practice is closely related to the build up of the Cold War in East Asia. However, Onda’s practices show the realistic potential of “Seikatsu-Tsuzurikata” that takes up the trends of education influenced by political background of the Cold War.

Finally, this paper investigates the relationship between the nationwide response to “Delta” No. 3 with the planned publication of Ikutaro Shimizu, et al, The Child of the Military Base (1953). “Delta” No. 3 attracted attention nationwide as a pioneering example of “Seikatsu-Tsuzurikata” that took up military base problems. However, as interest in the subject grew, it was subjected to repeated editing and redirection. As a result, its original two functions and the opportunity of relativizing Cold War thought was eliminated.

  The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship, if any, between understanding pollution education and gender. First, the roles of women in the history of social responses to pollution problems were considered. Second, the representation of woman schoolteachers in pollution education was examined. Among the findings is that, although women have been conspicuous in anti-pollution movements and studies on pollution, they are much less involved in education for understanding pollution. This is deemed to have been affected by gender segregation during the period of high economic growth.

  This essay will posit working principles for creating an environment and educational legalistic framework in Japan for better teachers, including at pre-school and nursery levels. In particular, it will focus diachronically on the third stage of teachers' education and training, or that of teachers' careers following their formal training: hitherto treated as “staff development,” “in-service training” and so forth. This is still important today; however, the more people become serious about “the best interests of the child,” (Art. 3. Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN 1989) the greater the necessity to drastically reform the instructional and living conditions of teachers to meet the new demands.

  To realize and protect the benefits of the child, the environment for better teachers should be reorganized according to the following principles. First, teachers should be respected for their humanity, i.e. before their status as professional teachers, they are entitled to the rights and working conditions necessary to maintain their humanity as citizens. Directly serving individual child development, teachers can thus contribute to present and future problems facing mankind. Second, teachers should only faithfully obey child development theory, science and culture. To these ends, the state has a duty for the “establishment and regulation of the various conditions” for the education and welfare of the child (Art. X. Fundamental Law of Education, 1947); and this also means providing a better instructional environment for teachers. The most important basis of teaching activities is a teacher's academic freedom within the school setting (Art. 23. Japanese Constitution, 1946). At this point it is important to recognize that teachers are professionals. Third, teachers should be more involved in the decision-making process at schools and the community. Furthermore, this involvement should be connected to educationalists' participation in decision making and the implementation of educational policies in the community. This will lead to a new principle of educational autonomy and a revival of democracy in education.

  In Japan, pollution became a social problem in the 1970s. At the time, educating the public about pollution was associated with the movement for preventing pollution. In the 1990s, many victims of environmental pollution incidents settled their claims through the judicial system. One of the repercussions at the time was the construction of public museums that exhibit information on environmental pollution. The purpose of these museums is to inform the public with correct knowledge about pollution so that it does not occur again. The public environmental pollution museums work to eliminate discrimination and prejudices against pollution. On the other hand, the private environmental pollution museums were established through campaigning against pollution, with the objective of training citizens. The conferences and events for exchanging activities between the public and the private museums have been being held since 2013. Cooperation towards the generalization of environmental pollution education has just begun.