Where is the Teacher Shortage Headed in Japan as a Shrinking Society?

This special issue delves into Japan's teacher shortage, which is particularly acute in the 2020s, examining its historical roots and contemporary manifestations.The mass retirement of the baby boomer generation, coupled with the growing number of female teachers taking maternity and parental leave, has significantly exacerbated the shortage in recent years.Historically, Japan has relied on hiring unsuccessful candidates from teacher certification exams to adjust the supply of teachers, but the declining pool of unsuccessful candidates has made this practice less effective.Moreover, the increasing demand for teachers due to policies such as class size reduction and the expansion of special education classes, combined with the heavy workload and demanding nature of the teaching profession, has created a challenging and unattractive career path for many aspiring educators.Consequently, fewer graduates of teacher training programs are choosing to become teachers, further contributing to the shortage.By analyzing these factors within a global context of declining birthrates and aging populations, this special issue offers valuable insights into the challenges facing many developed nations (Gehrmann and Germer, 2024; UNESCO, 2024).Furthermore, it explores potential solutions such as reforms to teacher training programs, improvements in working conditions, and strategies to attract and retain a diverse teaching workforce.The findings from this special issue can inform policy development not only in Japan but also in other countries grappling with similar challenges.First, Yamasaki provides a broad statistical overview of the current teacher shortage, noting that signs of improvement suggest that the shortage may have passed its peak.He emphasizes that the traditional practice of hiring "exam repeaters" as a labor adjustment mechanism is no longer effective, as more young people with teaching licenses are opting for careers in the private sector.Despite various issues, the outlook is slowly improving; his paper sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the issues in the following two studies.Ota analyzes the motivations of young people aspiring to become teachers.It seems likely that the core group of teacher candidates, many of whom are deeply committed to education and have a strong affinity for school culture, will continue to pursue a career in education, even in the face of the decreasing appeal of the teaching profession.The paper suggests that with a steady applicant pool, the teacher recruitment process will not see drastic declines in the near future.In addition, Sakurai and Watanabe investigate why graduates of teacher training programs are moving to private enterprises.Their research identifies unattractive labor conditions as the main reason for this shift.The study shows that improving teachers' working environments could stem the outflow, implying that the number of applicants to teacher training