The Reduction Process in Japanese High School Cultural Club Activities : Focus on the Consequences of Introducing “Compulsory Clubs”

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  • 高校文化部活動の縮小過程 : 必修クラブ導入に着目して

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A unique phenomenon in Japanese high schools is the traditionally high participation rates in extracurricular sports club activities. As of 2017, about 60% of high school students belong to an athletic activity. However, there was a time when the majority of high school students participated in cultural club activities rather than athletic clubs. The participation rate of cultural clubs and athletic clubs reversed after World War II. Prior research on club activities in Japan reveals that an “expansion of activity in sports club activities,” has been noted whereas studies on a “reduction in cultural club activities” has been overlooked. This paper examines when and how this reversal of sports clubs and cultural clubs activities occurred. First, we re-tabulated a nationwide survey on high school students and high schools done after the World War II. From this it is evident that the participation rates of cultural clubs and athletic clubs reversed in the 1970’s. Evidence from the 1970’s clarifies that the introduction of the so-called “compulsory club” in the first half of the 1970’s caused the reduction of cultural activities overall. The reason for this is attributed to the fact that in terms of goals, cultural clubs were so similar to compulsory clubs, that they were easily replaced.

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