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Organisation
MinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology
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Shortname

HeadOffice

MEXT

MinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT),322Kasumigaseki,Chiyodaku,Tokyo1008959,

Japan

Offices/Branches

InternationalRepresentation

Mission

NotRelevant

No

Thepromotionofelementaryandsecondaryeducation,highereducation,educationalreform,theplanning

anddraftingofbasicscienceandtechnologypolicies,promotingresearchanddevelopment,sportsand
youthandthesoundmentalandphysicaldevelopmentoftheJapanesepeople,measuresaimedatmaking
Japanacultureorientedcountry.

Status

Activities

Governmentministries

Researchpolicymaker

Researchfunder

Mainactivity

TheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)performsactivitiesrelatingto:

ElementaryandSecondaryEducation,
HigherEducation,
LifelongLearningPolicy,
ScienceandTechnologyPolicy,
ResearchPromotion,
ResearchandDevelopment
Sports
CulturalAffairs.

ResearchPolicymaker

TheScienceandTechnologyPolicyBureauisresponsiblefortheplanninganddraftingofbasicscienceandtechnologypolicies.
TheBureauisalsoresponsiblefortheformulationofresearchanddevelopmentprogrammes,thepromotionofresearch
evaluation,thetrainingofresearchersandspecialists,regionalscienceandtechnologypromotion,promotingtheunderstanding
ofscienceandtechnology,thepromotionofacomprehensivepolicyoninternationalresearchexchange,dutiesrelatedtosafety

regulations,andenvironmentalsurveysfornuclearreactorsforexperimentalresearchandradioactiveisotopes,etc.

Researchfunder

TheResearchPromotionBureauisresponsibleforpromotingawiderangeofscientificresearch,fromthehumanitiesandthe

socialsciencestothenaturalsciences,byestablishingacademicresearchinstitutionsandprovisionofassistanceforacademic
research.Itisalsoresponsibleforpromotionofresearchanddevelopmentinsuchareasaslifesciences,informationand
communications,nanotechnologyandmaterials,andquantumandradiationresearch,aswellasforstrengtheningcoordination
betweenindustry,academia,andgovernmentandJapan'sintellectualpropertyanddevelopmentofresearchfoundations.The
ResearchandDevelopmentBureauisresponsibleforpromotingresearchanddevelopmentcenteredonlargescaleprojects,
suchasresearchanddevelopmentonearthquakes,disasterreduction,theocean,theearth,andtheenvironmentthe
promotionofAntarcticobservation,theInternationalSpaceStation(ISS)Programmeandotherresearchthedevelopmentand
utilizationofspaceandresearchanddevelopmentonnuclearpower,nuclearfusionpromotingtheInternationalThermonuclear
ExperimentalReactor(ITER)projectandnuclearfuelcycleincludingtheprototypefastbreederreactor'Monju'.TheBureauis
alsoresponsibleforareasrelatedtonuclearenergypolicy,includingthepeacefuluseofnuclearenergy.

Background

Followinggovernmentalreformin2001,theMinistryofEducation,Science,SportsandCulture

(Monbusho)becametheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(Monbukagakusho
orMEXT).Followingthischange,TheScienceandTechnologyAgency(STA)whichmostlysupportedlarge
scienceprojectsinthenuclearorspace/aerospacefields,wasmergedintothenewMonbukagakusho,with
MEXTaccumulatingtheseaspectsofmajorscienceactivity.Priortothis,theoldMonbushohadmostly
addressedscientificactivitiesundertakenintheuniversities.

MainStructure

TheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)isdirectedbytheMinisterof

State.ThereareTwoSeniorViceMinisters,oneViceMinister,aParliamentarySecretaryandtwoDeputy
Managers.TheMinisterissupportedbyaMinistersSecretariat,whichcomprisesPersonnel,GeneralAffairs,
BudgetandAccounts,aPolicyDivisionandInternationalAffairsDivision.Sevenbureaushaveresponsibility
forspecificareas.TheLifelongLearningPolicyBureaucomprisesaPolicyPlanningandCoordination,
AnalyticalResearchPlanning,LifelongLearning,SocialEducation,GenderEqualityLearning,and
EducationalMediaandInformationPolicyDivisions.TheElementaryandSecondaryEducationBureau
comprisesElementaryandSecondaryEducationPlanning,FinancialAffairs,SchoolCurriculum,Student
Affairs,EarlyChildhoodEducation,SpecialSupportEducation,InternationalEducation,Textbook,Education
Personnel,andEducation.TheHigherEducationBureaucomprisesHigherEducationPolicyPlanning,
UniversityPromotion,TechnicalEducation,MedicalEducation,StudentServices,NationalUniversity
CorporationDivisions.WithintheHigherEducationBureau,asubdepartmentdealingwithPrivate
EducationInstitutionsalsoexists.
WithintheScienceandTechnologyBureautherearePolicy,ResearchandCoordination,Knowledge
InfrastructurePolicy,NuclearSafety,PlanningandEvaluation,andInternationalScienceandTechnology
AffairsDivisions.TheResearchPromotionBureaucomprisesPolicyPromotion,Information,Scientific
ResearchInstitutes,ScientificResearchAid,BasicandGenericResearch,andLifeSciencesDivisions.The
ResearchandDevelopmentBureaucomprisesEarthquakeResearch,OceanandEarth,SpaceDevelopment
andUtilization,AtomicEnergy,AtomicEnergyResearchandDevelopment,andSpaceandAeronautics
PolicyDivisions.TheSportsandYouthBureaucomprisesaPolicyPlanningDivision,SportsforAllDivision,
CompetitiveSportsDivision,YouthDivisionandPhysicalFitnessDivision.ThereisaDirectorGeneralfor
InternationalAffairs.
CulturalAffairsareservedbytheAgencyforCulturalAffairschairedbytheCommissioner.Thisincludesa
secretariat,CulturalAffairs,CulturalPropertiesandDepartmentforSpecialInstitutions.
Separately,therearealsoorgansthatfallunderMEXTjurisdictionsuchasspecialinstitutionsandLocal
BranchOffices.

ComponentOrganisations(if

AgencyforCulturalAffairs(http://www.bunka.go.jp/english/index.html)

ParentOrganisation(ifany)

NotRelevant.

CharacteristicsofOperation

Onaverage,theMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)hashadanew

any)

MinisterofStateonanannualbasissince1988.
Aswithotherministries,MEXTregularlyestablishesspecialcommitteesorworkinggroupstoinvestigate
specialissues.
MEXTalsopublishestheWhitePaperonScienceandTechnologyonanannualbasis,aswellasother
reportsandstudies.

Year

NumberofEmployees

2010

2193

Explanationifstatisticsare

Inaddition,theAgencyforCulturalAffairsemploys237personnel.

ThemainprioritiesfortheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)are:

deviant
Researchpolicypriorities

Education(fromnurserytohighereducation)
ScienceandTechnology(includingresearch,universityindustrylinks,internationalresearchactivities).
Sports
Culture

MainPolicyPriorities
1.2.1StrategicResearchpolicies(longtermresearchagendas)

OtherPolicyPriorities
1.1.1Strategypolicydocuments(officialdocuments,policyconsultationpapers,greenorwhithpapers,Operational
ProgrammesofStructuralFunds)
2.1.1Policymeasuresconceringexcellence,relevanceandmanagementofresearchinUniversities
2.1.4ResearchInfrastructures

Financingpriorities

DevelopmentofPriorities

Grants

ThemainprioritiesoftheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)with

regardtoscienceandtechnologyareshapedbytheScienceandTechnologyBasicLawandtheNew
GrowthStrategy.

EvolutionofPriorities

TheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)accumulatednewareasof

activityfollowingtheabsorptionoftheScienceandTechnologyAgency(STA)in2001,particularinthe
areaofnuclearresearchandaviation.
Onafiveyearbasis,MEXTimplementstheScienceandTechnologyBasicPlanandfollowstheprioritiesas
setoutineachplan.UnderthemostrecentThirdScienceandTechnologyBasicPlan,theprioritieswere
lifesciences,informationandcommunications,environmentalsciences,nanotechnologyandmaterials.
TheseprioritieswerereflectedinthebudgetarycommitmentsoftheMinistry.
SincethepassingoftheThirdBasicPlan,andtheintroductionoftheNewGrowthStrategyin2010,MEXT
havebeenprioritisingthelifeinnovationandgreeninnovationfields.Theyhavealsobeenprioritisingbasic
researchandhumanresourcedevelopment.

Targets

Notforprofit

Universities

Lastavailabledata

TotalannualbudgetinEuro

Totalannualbudgetinnational

2011

49bn

5,5428bn

1EURO=111Yen

currency
Currencytransformation
method
BudgetTrends

MEXT'sbudgetisbroadlystable.In2005,thebudgetwas50bn(5,573bn).

Sourceoffunds

GovernmentofJapan

Expenditure/Destinationof

Forthe2009expenditurebudgetoftheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology

funds

(MEXT),31%dedicatedtoeducationexpense,23%isforthenationaluniversities,16%isforpromoting
scienceandtechnology(7%ofthisisforcompetitiveresearchfunds9.3%isforotherexpenses),4%is
forenergycountermeasureexpenses,8.5%isforstudentactivitiesandsports.Theremainingbudgetisfor
theAgencyforCulturalAffairs,textbookdevelopment,scholarships,national,publicandprivateuniversity
facilities.

Fundingcycles

TheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)workstoanannualbudget

cycle.

Allocationoffunds

TheMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnologyaimstoimplementexanteevaluation

toallprogrammesandpoliciesagainsttheoutcomesofthepolicies,useofexpenditure,andsocialneeds(
Link(http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/hyouka/main_a11.htm)).IndependentAdministrativeInstitutions
(IAIs)arealsosubjecttoevaluation.

Fundingimpactassessment

BasedontheAdministrativeOrganPolicyEvaluationLaw2001Law86),theMinistryofEducation,

processes

Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)hasintroducedaBasicPlanforPolicyEvaluation(2005

2007).Thisanalysesimportantinformationandtheevaluationshouldbereflectedinthebudget(
Link(http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/hyouka/hanei/06032910/001.htm)).

Evaluationandreview

Websiteinoriginallanguage

WebsiteinEnglish

Correspondentname

DocumentDate

NotRelevant

http://www.mext.go.jp/(http://www.mext.go.jp/)

http://www.mext.go.jp/english/index.htm(http://www.mext.go.jp/english/index.htm)

LeeWoolgar

27/08/2011

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