Symposium: Ten years since lowering the voting age to 18: Where does "Citizenship Education" stand now?

Date and Time: Sunday, March 7, 2026, 17:00-20:00
Venue: Goethe Institut Tokyo, Library, 2nd Floor
Cost: Free / Registration required (Link *Only available in Japanese)
Capacity:
- 50 in-person attendees (priority given to middle and high school students)
- Unlimited Zoom attendees (hybrid event)

Japan and Germany have developed distinct approaches to citizenship education within their respective historical contexts. In Germany, postwar efforts included establishing the " Beutelsbacher Consensus," which affirmed the principle of political neutrality, and creating the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb). The bpb is a national institution that promotes education to safeguard democracy and was born from reflections on the Nazi era. These initiatives advanced citizenship education nationwide. In Japan, however, schools have long been cautious about addressing political topics. The introduction of voting rights for 18-year-olds, however, led to a renewed recognition of the importance of citizenship education in schools, and the discussions have now been going on for ten years.
Today, however, democracy faces new crises, including societal fragmentation through social media and the rise of right-wing populism. This event will explore the question, "What kind of education is needed now to protect democracy?" through a dialogue involving teachers and high school students from Japan and Germany.


For event details and the program, please visit the Shiraume Gakuen University website and see the flyer below.

Organized by:
Vote at Chuo!! (Chuo University Sovereign Education Circle), Shiraume Gakuen University
Sponsored by:
Freidrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Goethe Institut, Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin (JDZB)