The history of Social Education in Japan can be understood as the trajectory of “Kominkan.”
Kominkan, social education facilities that are literally translated as “citizen’s halls,” were
created in 1946, when the new Japanese Constitution was promulgated, with the concepts of
mutual teaching and learning, and support for voluntary learning by local residents after World
War II. The Japanese central government instituted a variety of supportive policies to promote
the establishment of Kominkan. The call from the central government to establish Kominkan
was a good match for people's needs to learn new values and improve their lives because defeat
in the war generated extreme poverty in Japan at that time, and a thoughtful and reflective
review of non-democratic and militaristic education during the war was carried out by the
people as well as government. Kominkan were to promote the development and richness of
people’s active participation, and they quickly spread across the nation. Although they were
established by the government, grass-roots initiatives were highly encouraged. This was because
Japanese society faced the necessity of change, partly forced by the guidance of the General
Headquarters of the Allied Forces, led by the United States, and the people felt the need to
overcome the deficient conditions in their lives. In other words, Kominkan was regarded as a
symbol of the new age for those who wanted to find a direction of their lives. During this period,
popular activities at Kominkan facilitated women’s empowerment, a better quality of healthy
life, income generation, and recreation activities.