Most Japanese High School Textbooks to Include QR Codes

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Almost all textbooks to be used by first- and second-year high school students in Japan from fiscal 2026 will include quick response, or QR, codes that link to websites with video and audio learning aid materials, it was learned Tuesday.

The education ministry said the same day that a total of 253 textbooks in 13 subjects have passed the second screenings under the current curriculum guidelines.

In response to the rapid progress of digitalization, many of the textbooks include descriptions on information ethics and generative artificial intelligence.

The average number of pages per textbook in 11 commonly taught subjects came to 321, slightly up from the previous screenings in 2021.

All geography-history and civics textbooks take up the Northern Territories, which are effectively controlled by Russia, Takeshima, the Sea of Japan islets controlled by South Korea, and the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, which are also claimed by China.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]