This overview of the development of media education in Japan begins with a discussion of the motion picture as entertainment and the public attitude toward film in Japan during the early years of the century. The introduction of film education into the schools in the 1920s--both teaching by film and teaching about film--is then described together with the introduction of radio education in 1935. Post World War II developments in media education are discussed in more detail, including: (1) the use of film as a teaching tool rather than a subject of study during the 1950s and 1960s; (2) emphasis on press education in order to understand and utilize newspapers during the 1950s; (3) an exceptional program in film appreciation and techniques at Seijo Elementary School in Tokyo, which began to use films regularly in classroom teaching in 1921; (4) impact of television on school curricula; and (5) the importance of computer literacy. As an illustration of the importance of media education in the Japanese academic world, recent symposia in Japan that have featured relevant discussions are listed, and current Japanese research in the field is summarized. (MES)