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日本語日本文化研修留学生報告、日本語・日本文化論集
Low voter turnout among the younger generation is one of the pressing problems of Japanese society. For several decades in a row, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has shown a low turnout of young voters in elections for representatives to parliament [Soumu 2019]. Now, this problem is most acute due to the pronounced aging of the Japanese population. If sociologists' predictions are correct, and by 2060, 39.9% of the Japanese population will be over 65, then the burden of supporting the elderly population economically may fall on the shoulders of young people [Nippon.com 2014]. And therefore, the voices of young people must be heard.
We believe it is important to help young people realize the deep and negative consequences of ignoring their suffrage to solve crucial social problems. The Japanese government and civil society organizations are developing a variety of approaches to attract the attention of the younger generation. Such, for example, can be called a decrease in the voting age to 18 years. This law has statistically increased the number of young voters to 2.4 million people [Iida 2016, p.13]. This law came into force in 2016.
However, what measures are taken by the government and municipalities to solve the problem of political absenteeism? In this article we will try to answer this question.
We will touch upon the content of a political science textbook that the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications plans to introduce in general education institutions in 2022. We will also determine which educational methods will be used in teaching political science after the publication of this textbook. However, in order to suppress the agitation of specific parties in teaching electoral law, teachers need to adhere to the so-called political neutrality. This phenomenon is also the focus of this article. Finally, we will propose potential solutions to absenteeism among Japanese youth, such as E-voting and others.