In Japan, schools are generally expected to function as local community centers, to collectively discipline children, and to provide knowledge for exams. On the other hand, it is also expected to open a new world to children, teach them independence and solidarity, and impart knowledge and values in the context of a global society with pluralistic perspectives. The increasingly digitalized global society poses further challenges to schools and education in Japan. Traditions are being destabilized and the future is becoming unpredictable. Schools are therefore challenged to deal with the resulting contradictions. The article outlines the traditional understanding of schools in Japan, while also tracing the new developments towards which school systems in Japan are going.

Keywords
School, Japan, Digitalized World Society, Sustainability