Death Education Curriculums for Elementary Schools in Japan

Abstract

Compared to thirty years of death education in the United States, death education in Japan became widely acknowledged among educators in elementary schools at the beginning of the 1990s. In Japanese curriculums, life-related issues suchas the beginning of life, growth, and the importance of life were more likely to be discussed, although they held the avowed purpose of preparing elementary-age children for loss experiences. Death education supported the development of healthy attitudes and understandings about life and death issues in order for the young to lead happy lives and avoid self-destructive behaviors. Although death education revealed a strong positive potential in contributing to children's lives, death still remained a difficult topic for educators to discuss with children. Many educators in Japan were not properly prepared to address death in their classrooms. Further research on death education should investigate support for children relating to the type of crises they might encounter in society.