Chronology of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT)

• 1871 Ministry of Education established
• 1872 Promulgation of the school system
• 1947 The Basic Act on Education, School Education Law enacted
• 1949 Scientific Technical Administration Committee established
• 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties enacted
• Protection of Cultural Properties Committee established (external bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science and Technology)
• 1956 Science and Technology Agency established (external bureau of the Prime Minister’s Office)
• 1959 Council for Science and Technology Policy established
• 1961 Sports Promotion Law enacted
• 1964 Tokyo Olympics held
• 1968 Agency for Cultural Affairs established (merging of the Protection of Cultural Properties Committee and the Ministry of Education Cultural Affairs Bureau)
• 1972 Sapporo Olympics held
• 1984 National Council on Education Reform established (to 1987)
• 1995 The Science and Technology Basic Law enacted
• 1996 The First Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2000)
• 1998 Nagano Olympics held
• 2000 The Basic Plan for the Promotion of Sports formulated (to FY2011)
• 2001 MEXT established (merging of the Ministry of Education, Science Sports and Culture and the Science and Technology Agency)
• Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts enacted
• The Second Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2005)
• 2002 The First Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2006)
• Five-day week system implemented for schools
• 2006 The Third Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2010)
• Revision of the Basic Act on Education enacted
• 2007 The Second Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2010)
• 2008 The First Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education formulated (to FY2012)
• 2011 The Third Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2015)
• The Fourth Science and Technology Basic Plan formulated (to FY2015)
• The Basic Act on Sport enacted
• 2012 The Sport Basic Plan formulated
• 2013 The Second Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education formulated (to FY2017)
• 2015 The Fourth Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts formulated (to FY2020)
• Japan Sports Agency established (external bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology