Paper Textbooks’ Importance Touted by Educational Organizations; Education Ministry Announces Comments on Interim Report

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:44 JST, April 29, 2025

Many education-related organizations have stressed the importance of paper textbooks and called for their continued use, according to comments compiled by the education ministry.

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry on Monday revealed comments such organizations made in response to an interim report in February of the working group on digital textbook promotion at the ministry’s Central Council for Education.

The working group will formulate a final report by this autumn.

In the interim report in February, it was proposed that digital textbooks, which are currently considered to be “alternative teaching materials,” can be designated as “official textbooks” and subject to state screening. Twenty-four organizations submitted written comments on the report to the ministry in March and April. The ministry also received 118 comments from the public.

In the comments, a number of organizations emphasized the learning effects of paper textbooks, with the All Japan Junior High School Principals’ Association stating that “paper textbooks stimulate other senses such as touch and are effective for memory consolidation.”

The Characters Culture Promotion Organization said that “in this age of digital technology, reading a coherent text is indispensable for developing the ability to think, and paper textbooks are suitable for this purpose.”

The national council of metropolitan superintendents of education said: “Sweden and other countries are reviewing the digitization [of textbooks]. We hope that the advantages and disadvantages of digital [textbooks] will be examined.”

The council of boards of education of designated cities and other organizations acknowledged the official use of digital textbooks, saying that it is necessary to systematically prepare for the use of both paper and digital textbooks.

The ministry said that it would be difficult to continue to provide students with both paper and digital textbooks on a permanent basis.