carried out from FY1998 by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers Associations of Japan. These groups present television stations and sponsors with requests based on the results of these surveys, and their efforts – in conjunction with voluntary approaches by the broadcasting industry – have produced some improvements in program content and achieved certain other results.

“Law on Restrictions Governing the Solicitation of Children via Internet Dating Services” was passed and promulgated in June 2003 and went into force in September of that year. Article 5 of that Law stipulated that “the national and local governments shall endeavor to inform and educate the public to deepen understanding on the need to prevent the use of Internet dating services by children,” and MEXT accordingly provided prefectural boards of education with an overview of the Law listing specific points of note.

Countering the harmful environment surrounding youths will require the effort of Japanese society as a whole, and the enthusiastic activities of NPOs are essential in this regard. Since FY2001 MEXT has, with the cooperation of academic experts, been conducting surveys on the sophisticated approaches being taken by NPOs overseas. Surveys of NPOs in the US were conducted in FY2001 (“Children and Television”), FY2002 (“Children and the Internet”), and FY2003 (“Children and Television Games”), and the results of these surveys have been compiled as reports to serve broadly as multifaceted references.

Together with entrusting to local governments improvements to the system for promoting countermeasures against harmful environments in communities, MEXT has from FY2004 been engaged in projects to improve the ability of children and their parents/guardians to utilize information by educating them on the usefulness of media, the problems facing children, and media literacy*. MEXT has also hosted forums that address specific conditions in communities and has been engaged in educational activity programs for preparing and distributing leaflets to children and their parents/guardians.

After the case of the murder of a young schoolgirl in Sasebo City in Nagasaki Prefecture in June 2004, a project team was organized within MEXT to study possible responses to problematic student behavior; this team compiled a priority program in October (see Part 4 [4] of this Chapter). This program focused on giving better guidance on morals and manners to students living in an information-oriented society, and MEXT accordingly is further endeavoring to institute measures to counter the harmful environment surrounding youths.

## (5) Promoting International Youth Exchange

MEXT subsidizes international youth exchange projects implemented by such organizations as the Scout Association of Japan and the National Council of Youth Organizations in Japan. Furthermore, MEXT entrusted youth organizations to send Japanese youths overseas and invite young people from other countries to Japan. In the projects, to joint experiential activities for young people in Japan, partner countries, activities exposing these young people to the traditions and cultures of other countries.

National youth education facilities such as the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center are also offering such international exchange programs as the Asia Regional Youth

▲ Sound Youth Development Forum

Educators and Instructors Seminar and the Youth International Network Forum.

## (6) Hosting Sound Youth Development Forums

To promote education on youth development, to foster understanding and cooperation on approaches toward sound development and delinquency prevention, and to provide a chance to encourage organic collaboration between the parties involved, MEXT has been hosting Sound Youth Development Forums with the participation of community youth instructors and representatives of youth organizations to facilitate information exchange and discussions on approaches to sound youth development and practical activities.