Japan’s education minister has addressed how the government will determine when fully digital textbooks are appropriate following a major amendment to the School Education Act. The reform creates legal pathways for printed, hybrid, and entirely digital textbooks while raising questions about screen time, accessibility, infrastructure, quality control, and student learning.
Editorial Note
This article examines Japan’s continuing implementation of recently enacted legislation that permits official school textbooks to include digital formats.
The July 28, 2026, ministerial press conference did not require every Japanese school to abandon printed textbooks or immediately adopt fully digital materials. MEXT confirmed that the minister was questioned about fully digital textbook introduction criteria and his broader views on digital textbooks. However, the official written transcript had not yet been published when this article was prepared.
Some sections below discuss policy questions Japan may need to address during implementation. Those sections represent educational-policy analysis rather than finalized government requirements.
This article is provided for general educational and informational purposes. It does not constitute legal, technology-procurement, cybersecurity, medical, accessibility, or individualized educational advice.
Japan Is Beginning the Hardest Part of Digital-Textbook Reform
Japan’s education minister, Yohei Matsumoto, was questioned on July 28 about the criteria for introducing fully digital textbooks and his broader position on digital learning materials.
The discussion follows a major amendment to the School Education Act and related laws. The legislation changes the legal definition of an official textbook so that approved materials can include digital formats rather than being limited to printed books.
MEXT has confirmed that the July 28 press conference included discussion of fully digital textbook standards. However, the ministry’s written transcript was still listed as forthcoming at the time of publication. That means the minister’s complete explanation and exact wording were not yet available in official text form.
The central question is no longer whether digital content can become part of Japan’s official textbook system.
The more difficult question is when a fully digital format is educationally appropriate and what safeguards must exist before schools depend on it.
The Law Changes What Counts as an Official Textbook
Japan’s House of Councillors approved the amendment on June 10, 2026.
MEXT described the reform as an effort to combine the strengths of paper and digital content rather than pursue digitalization as an end in itself. The ministry emphasized that the purpose is to improve the quality and clarity of student learning.
Under the previous system, printed books occupied the central legal position. Digital versions and materials accessed through QR codes could support instruction, but they were not always treated as official parts of the textbook itself.
The amended framework recognizes three general possibilities:
- Paper-only textbooks
- Fully digital textbooks
- Hybrid textbooks combining printed and digital components
MEXT’s public materials specifically show all three formats and explain that digital-only products should be developed with subject characteristics and students’ developmental stages in mind.
This is not simply a technological update.
It changes the legal structure surrounding textbook review, publication, adoption, distribution, copyright, and compulsory-education funding.
Japan Is Not Eliminating Printed Textbooks
One of the most important facts about the reform is what it does not require.
Japan is not ordering every school to replace printed textbooks with tablets.
MEXT directly answers the question of whether all textbooks will become digital with “no.” The ministry says the intention is to combine the strengths of paper and digital content in ways that make learning clearer and more accessible.
Printed textbooks may remain appropriate when students need to read long passages, annotate freely, compare several pages, practice handwriting, or work without depending on connectivity and device reliability.
Digital formats may be more useful when audio, video, enlargement, interactive demonstrations, or accessibility functions improve understanding.
A hybrid textbook may provide the most practical balance for many subjects. Students could use a printed book for reading and written work while accessing approved audio, video, or interactive materials through a device.
The reform therefore creates flexibility rather than a single mandatory model.
Fully Digital Should Mean More Than Scanning a Printed Book
MEXT has stated that the new system is not intended merely to display the same printed pages on a tablet.
The reform allows publishers to design official textbook content around digital capabilities that paper cannot easily provide. Examples cited by the ministry include native-speaker audio in language courses, videos of science experiments, and information presented gradually through digital displays.
That distinction is important.
A fully digital textbook should not be selected simply because a school owns devices or because a publisher can convert a book into a screen-based format.
The format should offer a clear educational benefit.
A digital science textbook might show an experiment that is too expensive or dangerous to conduct in every classroom. A language textbook might allow students to replay pronunciation examples. A geography textbook might include interactive maps that show changes over time.
If the digital format adds no meaningful instructional value, it may simply introduce technical complexity without improving learning.
Subject Area and Student Age Should Influence the Format
MEXT’s public explanation states that decisions about fully digital textbooks should consider subject characteristics and students’ developmental stages.
That means the same standard should not necessarily be applied across every grade and subject.
Language learning may benefit greatly from integrated audio and pronunciation models. Science may benefit from demonstrations, animations, and interactive diagrams. Music may benefit from embedded performances and listening examples.
Other subjects may continue to rely heavily on paper.
Students reading long literary works may find printed text easier to annotate and revisit. Younger children may need more physical interaction with books, handwriting practice, and direct teacher support before managing complex digital navigation.
A textbook appropriate for an older high-school student may not be appropriate for a child beginning elementary school.
Japan’s future guidance should therefore preserve flexibility rather than assuming that one format is best for every learner.
Digital Textbook Content Will Face Government Screening
One of the clearest legal changes involves Japan’s textbook-authorization system.
At present, some digital content accessed through QR codes is treated as supplementary instructional material rather than as part of the official textbook. Because of that distinction, it is not always directly reviewed through the same national textbook-screening process as the printed pages.
Under the new system, digital portions formally included as textbook content will also be subject to national review. MEXT says this is intended to preserve quality and ensure that only approved material becomes part of an official textbook.
That raises new implementation questions.
Officials may need to determine whether digital content can be changed after approval, how software updates will be reviewed, what happens when links stop working, and whether an interactive activity provides accurate feedback.
Printed books generally remain fixed until a revised edition is published.
Digital content can be changed much more quickly.
That flexibility can help correct errors, but it also makes strong version control and approval procedures essential.
The Law Takes Effect Before the New Textbooks Reach Most Classrooms
The amended legal framework is scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027. The official legislative summary identifies that date as the implementation date.
However, that does not mean fully digital official textbooks will immediately appear in every classroom.
Publishers must still develop materials under the new rules. MEXT must establish ministerial guidance and revised screening standards. Textbooks must then go through review, adoption, production, and distribution.
MEXT says the new textbook formats are expected to begin use alongside Japan’s next national curriculum standards. Current implementation planning points toward elementary-school use beginning around fiscal 2030 rather than an immediate nationwide transition in 2027.
The gap between the law’s effective date and classroom use is important.
It gives Japan time to develop standards, train teachers, assess infrastructure, test accessibility, and decide which subjects are appropriate for fully digital materials.
Accessibility Could Be One of the Reform’s Greatest Benefits
Digital textbooks could make learning more accessible for some students with disabilities.
Possible features include enlarged text, adjustable contrast, text-to-speech, audio support, captioned video, keyboard navigation, and simplified display options.
Those tools could help students with visual impairments, reading disabilities, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, or other learning needs.
However, accessibility should not be added only after a textbook has already been designed.
Future guidance may need to establish minimum accessibility expectations for publishers and platforms. Schools should also evaluate whether students can use digital materials independently and whether assistive technologies work reliably with the approved content.
A digital textbook that excludes students with disabilities would undermine one of the strongest arguments for reform.
Infrastructure Will Determine Whether the Reform Is Equitable
A fully digital textbook depends on more than content.
Students need functioning devices, secure accounts, charging systems, compatible software, technical support, and—in some cases—reliable internet access.
Schools need procedures for replacing broken or lost devices. Teachers need help when students cannot log in or software stops working. Local boards of education need funding for maintenance, cybersecurity, upgrades, and technical staff.
Japan’s local governments do not all have identical financial and technical capacity.
A well-resourced urban school system may be able to replace devices quickly and maintain strong networks. A smaller or rural community may face greater difficulty.
If a fully digital textbook is selected without dependable infrastructure, students may lose access to a required educational resource whenever the technology fails.
The legal reform therefore creates a national possibility, but local implementation will determine whether access is truly equal.
Schools Need Backup Plans for Outages and Emergencies
Printed textbooks continue working during power failures, software outages, network disruptions, and cybersecurity incidents.
Digital textbooks may not.
Future implementation guidance should address whether materials can be downloaded for offline use, whether schools must keep printed backup materials, and how instruction will continue when devices or platforms are unavailable.
Schools should also understand what happens if a publisher ends support for a product, changes its software, or leaves the market.
An official textbook must remain accessible for the period in which schools are expected to use it.
That responsibility should not become unclear simply because a textbook is delivered through a private digital platform.
Student Privacy Requires Clear Limits
Digital textbook systems may be capable of collecting information that printed books cannot.
A platform could potentially record when a student opens a textbook, how long a section remains visible, which activities are completed, what questions are answered incorrectly, and how often certain material is reviewed.
Some of that information could help teachers identify learning needs.
It could also create extensive records about children’s academic behavior.
Japan may need clear rules defining what information can be collected, who can access it, how long it can be stored, and whether it can be used to improve commercial products.
Students should not be required to provide unnecessary personal information simply to access an official textbook.
Data collection should be limited to legitimate educational purposes and explained clearly to schools and families.
Screen Time Should Be Considered Carefully
Digital textbooks may increase the amount of time students spend using screens during the school day.
That does not automatically make them harmful.
The educational effect depends on how long students use the device, what they are doing, how often they take breaks, and whether screen-based learning replaces reading, handwriting, discussion, movement, or hands-on activities.
Watching a short science demonstration is different from reading a long chapter on a screen. Listening to a language exercise is different from switching repeatedly between unrelated applications.
Schools may need practical guidance on when digital content adds value and when paper, conversation, experimentation, or physical materials are more appropriate.
A balanced approach should evaluate the quality and purpose of screen use rather than treating every digital activity as identical.
Teacher Preparation Will Shape the Results
The success of digital textbooks will depend heavily on teachers.
Educators will need time to preview the materials, understand accessibility functions, manage devices, plan alternatives, and decide when digital features improve a lesson.
Training should go beyond instructions about where to click.
Teachers need to understand how digital materials affect classroom discussion, student attention, note-taking, collaboration, and assessment.
They should also know how to report inaccurate content, protect student information, support students who struggle with digital platforms, and continue instruction when technology fails.
A digital textbook cannot improve education by itself.
Its value depends on how teachers use it.
Publishers Will Gain New Opportunities and Responsibilities
The new framework creates opportunities for textbook publishers to design official materials that include audio, video, interactive diagrams, and accessibility tools.
It also creates new responsibilities.
Publishers may need to maintain approved digital content for several years, provide technical support, correct errors, protect student information, and ensure that software remains compatible with school devices.
MEXT has also explained that the reform does not mean publishers will release the same textbook in three separate versions and triple the number of adoption choices. Instead, publishers are expected to select an appropriate format using ministerial guidance.
That may reduce some administrative burden, but local education authorities will still need to evaluate more than academic content.
They may need to examine accessibility, data practices, platform stability, offline access, technical support, and long-term cost.
A visually impressive demonstration should not replace careful evaluation.
The Minister’s Comments Mark the Beginning of Regulatory Design
The law settled one major question.
Japan will legally allow official textbooks to include digital formats.
It did not settle the more difficult questions involving standards, implementation, access, privacy, teacher preparation, and infrastructure.
The July 28 press conference shows that Japan is now entering the regulatory stage.
The government must determine when fully digital textbooks are appropriate, how publishers should choose formats, how digital portions will be reviewed, and how schools will manage the practical consequences.
Those decisions may have a greater effect on students than the legal amendment itself.
The law created the possibility.
The standards will determine whether that possibility improves learning.
New To Education and the Importance of Following Implementation
New education laws are often described through their most visible promise.
In this case, that promise is a modern textbook that can include audio, video, interactive demonstrations, and accessibility tools.
The real impact will depend on less visible decisions involving funding, procurement, teacher training, data protection, technical support, and equal student access.
New To Education will continue following Japan’s digital-textbook reform as MEXT develops the rules and publishers begin preparing materials for future curriculum cycles.
The most important question is not whether a textbook can become digital.
It is whether the chosen format helps students learn more effectively and remains accessible when they need it.
Key Takeaways
Japan’s education minister was questioned on July 28, 2026, about the criteria for introducing fully digital textbooks and his broader views on digital learning materials.
The official written transcript was not yet available when this article was prepared, so the minister’s complete comments should not be overstated.
Japan’s amended School Education Act allows official textbooks to be paper-only, fully digital, or hybrid products combining printed and digital content.
Japan is not eliminating printed textbooks or requiring every school to move entirely to screens.
Digital portions formally included in official textbooks will become part of the national textbook-screening process.
Most provisions are scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027, but classroom implementation is expected to occur gradually alongside future national curriculum changes.
The reform could improve accessibility and interactive learning, but successful implementation will require careful attention to infrastructure, privacy, teacher preparation, screen use, platform reliability, and equal student access.
FAQ
Has Japan eliminated printed textbooks?
No. Printed textbooks remain permitted. The new framework allows paper-only, fully digital, and hybrid formats.
Are schools required to use fully digital textbooks?
No nationwide requirement has been announced requiring every school or subject to use a fully digital format.
What changed under the new law?
The definition of an official textbook is no longer limited to paper. Approved textbooks may include digital records and digital-only components.
Will digital textbook content be reviewed?
Yes. Digital portions formally included as textbook content will become part of Japan’s national textbook-screening process.
When does the law take effect?
Most provisions are scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027.
When will students begin using the new textbooks?
Implementation is expected to be gradual. Current planning connects wider classroom use to the next national curriculum cycle, beginning with elementary schools around fiscal 2030.
What are the main policy concerns?
Major concerns include accessibility, device reliability, unequal infrastructure, teacher preparation, data privacy, cybersecurity, screen time, platform stability, and long-term costs.
Final Thoughts
Japan has changed the legal meaning of a textbook.
A textbook may no longer be limited to a printed object carried into a classroom and opened on a desk.
It may also become a platform containing audio, video, interactive demonstrations, accessibility tools, and other digital features.
That could make difficult concepts easier to understand and educational materials more accessible.
It could also make basic learning more dependent on devices, networks, private platforms, and technical systems that do not always work as intended.
Japan should therefore apply a higher standard than asking whether a textbook can be digital.
The government, publishers, and schools must determine whether it should be digital, whether students can access it equally, whether teachers can use it effectively, and whether learning can continue when technology fails.
Innovation should expand educational opportunity.
It should not make access to education more fragile.
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Sources
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology — Minister Yohei Matsumoto’s July 28, 2026 Press Conference
https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/daijin/detail/mext_00716.html
MEXT — School Education Act Amendment Approved by the House of Councillors
https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/activity/detail/2026/20260610.html
MEXT — New Textbooks Incorporating Digital Formats
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/kyoukasho/seido/1407731_00003.htm
MEXT — Overview of the School Education Act and Related Amendments
https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20260402-mxt_hourei-000048770_1.pdf
