A Study on 3D Printer in Japanese Schools: Focus on Courses of Study and Number of Articles

The use of 3D printers in education is becoming increasingly common. However, there is a paucity of objective data regarding their implementation in Japanese schools. Furthermore, few resources in languages other than Japanese present this information, creating barriers to international comparative research. To bridge this knowledge gap, this paper provides empirical data on the integration of 3D printers into Japanese school education. Our analysis focuses on two key areas: (1) how 3D printers are addressed in the Commentary on the Courses of Study (a significant shift from their absence in the prior edition to inclusion in four current subject areas), and (2) the publication trends of 3D printer-related articles in Japanese academic literature. Our findings indicate that while such articles began appearing around 2014, their volume has remained modest with only a slight increase over time.