The Journal of The Korean Association of Geographic and Environmental Education ISSN:1226-511X(Print) 2586-5641(Online) 한국지리환경교육학회지

This study aims to clarify the characteristics of Geography subject, which was newly established and mandated in the Geography and History department of the 2018 revised Japanese High School Curriculum Guidelines. For this purpose, geography-based epistemological approaches was used as the analytical framework. Based on this framework, the study examined the curriculum structure and the implementation methods in textbooks, focusing on the National Curriculum Guidelines and the Tokyo-Shoseki textbook. The research findings are as follows. First, Geography positions geography-based epistemological approaches as a core mechanism that integrates the elements of qualities and abilities. Second, the Curriculum Guidelines and textbook for Geography feature a systematic and progressive structure that begins with the acquisition of geographical skills, moves through global-scale inquiries, and leads to local field investigations in daily life zones. Third, the Geography textbook has shifted away from a dictionary-like structure centered on academic definitions, strengthening its character as a methodological guide that presents abundant case studies and Web GIS applications. These analytical results provide significant implications as foundational data for establishing the identity of the geography curriculum and developing textbooks in South Korea in the future.