In alignment with MEXT’s policy to cultivate global human resources (gurobaru jinzai)—emphasizing intercultural competence and identity rooted in Japan’s culture (Yonezawa, 2014)—Japanese universities are expected to foster global graduates through English‐medium education. Consequently, many EFL textbooks now focus exclusively on Japanese culture. However, such materials may unintentionally reinforce essentialist cultural views (Holliday, 1999) or obscure the country’s internal diversity. This study investigates how Japanese national identity is constructed in tertiary level EFL textbooks, guided by three research questions: (1) To what extent do materials promote essentialist representations of culture? (2) To what extent are Japanese minority groups—such as Okinawans, Ainu, Zainichi Koreans, and foreign born residents—included? (3) How are such minority groups linguistically and visually represented when they appear? A combined content analysis and critical discourse analysis approach is employed (Krippendorff, 2013; Fairclough, 2013). Content analysis addresses Questions 1 & 2 by identifying thematic emphasis—e.g. tradition, etiquette, food—and quantifying references to minority groups across five widely used textbooks. CDA responds to Question 3, unpacking how identity and belonging are framed through language and imagery. Preliminary findings indicate that textbooks overwhelmingly depict Japanese culture as homogeneous, harmonious and timeless, often omitting minority narratives. When minority groups appear, they tend to be portrayed in peripheral or exoticized terms, reinforcing predominant nihonjinron discourse (Befu, 2001). Such representations risk undermining the goals of intercultural education (Byram, 1997). The study concludes with a call for more inclusive and critically aware EFL materials that reflect the pluralistic realities of contemporary Japanese society.

Authors:
Chris Hastings, Nanzan University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Mr Chris Hastings is currently a lecturer at Nanzan University in the Deparment of British and American Studies, Japan.

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