The purpose of this article is to reflect on the history of the educational policy in Japan from 'assimilation' to 'coexistence' and its present and future in relation to the rapidly changing multicultural situation in Japan. Particularly focusing on the contrast between the two concepts of “assimilation” and “coexistence”. this article analyzes how these two concepts come in and out of conflict in Japan. Japan has been multi racial nation because it is composed of Ainu in Hokkaido, Ryukyu in Okinawa. But since Japan was defeated in the World War Ⅱ, they set the educational policy for the foreigners in Japan which is symbolized as 'assimilation'. Also, this article discusses Koreans in Japan from the perspective of multiculturalism. They has been discriminated against during the policy of 'assimilation' in Japan. Japanese government didn't accept they went to their ethnic school in 1950's for this 'assimilation' policy. The Korean community in Japan has most deeply influenced on the surrounding Japanese multicultural society such as the case of Gawasaki, the small city. In 2000's, Government of Japan announced the policy of 'coexistence' with foreign people since the practice for the multiculturalism with Koreans in Japan had been vigorously pushed forward in Gawasaki. The Discourse for the Multiculuralism in Japan is about 10 years earlier than in Korea. But the concrete contents in history education such as national curriculum, textbooks are not reflected on this discussion well. They empathize 'Japanse tradition', 'patriotism' instead of describing the discrimination on the minority in Japan.

The purpose of this article is to reflect on the history of the educational policy in Japan from 'assimilation' to 'coexistence' and its present and future in relation to the rapidly changing multicultural situation in Japan. Particularly focusing on the contrast between the two concepts of “assimilation” and “coexistence”. this article analyzes how these two concepts come in and out of conflict in Japan. Japan has been multi racial nation because it is composed of Ainu in Hokkaido, Ryukyu in Okinawa. But since Japan was defeated in the World War Ⅱ, they set the educational policy for the foreigners in Japan which is symbolized as 'assimilation'. Also, this article discusses Koreans in Japan from the perspective of multiculturalism. They has been discriminated against during the policy of 'assimilation' in Japan. Japanese government didn't accept they went to their ethnic school in 1950's for this 'assimilation' policy. The Korean community in Japan has most deeply influenced on the surrounding Japanese multicultural society such as the case of Gawasaki, the small city. In 2000's, Government of Japan announced the policy of 'coexistence' with foreign people since the practice for the multiculturalism with Koreans in Japan had been vigorously pushed forward in Gawasaki. The Discourse for the Multiculuralism in Japan is about 10 years earlier than in Korea. But the concrete contents in history education such as national curriculum, textbooks are not reflected on this discussion well. They empathize 'Japanse tradition', 'patriotism' instead of describing the discrimination on the minority in Japan.