TEIGEN JP ("we"), as an organization working on civic education and youth political participation, complies with the applicable laws and with the official guidance issued by government bodies, and maintains political neutrality as an organization and independence in what we do.
That said, we do not treat political neutrality as a reason to say nothing about politics or social problems.
Neutrality is not settling every opinion at a vague midpoint, nor avoiding disagreement and conflict. We understand it as a guardrail: it exists so that people who hold different positions can question, argue and decide for themselves, fairly, without being pushed to any particular conclusion.
This policy applies to every member, every program, everything we publish, every partnership, and every acceptance of funding.
1. Basic position under the law and official guidance
Article 14(1) of the Basic Act on Education provides that the political literacy necessary for a citizen of good sense shall be respected in education. Article 14(2) prohibits schools defined by law from carrying out political education or other political activity aimed at supporting or opposing a particular party.
The Ministry of Education, on political literacy education in high schools, asks that schools deal with real, concrete political matters while maintaining political neutrality. Its notice sets out the importance of understanding differing and opposing views, and of examining one's own view critically through argument.
It further states that in dealing with political matters, the calm and reasoned process of getting to a conclusion matters more than reaching one, and that a range of views must be presented.
In June 2026 the Ministry again stated that, following the applicable laws and notices, it is important to undertake political literacy education while presenting a range of views and perspectives so as to maintain political neutrality.
We comply with these laws and this guidance.
Article 14(2) applies directly to schools defined by law. We are not a school; but beyond complying with it in anything run with a school, we adopt its intent as our own voluntary code in our independent programs as well.
At the same time, we will not use political neutrality as a reason to unduly narrow the chances teenagers get to learn about politics and society and to argue about them.
2. The organization's neutrality, and participants' freedom
As an organization we neither support nor oppose any party, political body or candidate.
Nor do we run anything aimed at steering participants toward a particular political position, policy conclusion or vote.
Our neutrality is not a demand that participants be neutral. They may hold views, support or oppose particular policies, and argue with others.
The organization being neutral and participants' opinions being neutral are two clearly separate things.
What we guarantee is not a room without opinions, but a room where differing opinions are treated fairly.
3. Protecting the chance to argue
We provide occasions on which teenagers can learn how things stand, raise their own questions, and face values and interests different from their own.
Politics and society contain questions to which no single right answer can easily be fixed. Politics is also the process of reconciling conflicts of opinion, belief, value and interest. The Ministry's notice likewise sets out the importance of understanding and arguing about differing views, given that real politics arises from such conflicts.
On that basis, we treat disagreement, dialogue, rebuttal, persuasion, compromise, consensus-building — and the experience of failing to reach consensus — as important learning in civic education.
If neutrality is formalised too far and every conflict and controversy kept at a distance, teenagers lose the chance to touch what democracy is actually like.
We keep the lines that must be held clear, and put the learning of the teenagers in front of us first.
4. No campaigning, and no steering of votes
The Tokyo Metropolitan Election Administration Commission describes campaigning as urging people to vote with the aim of getting a particular candidate elected in a particular election.
Following that definition and the Public Offices Election Act and related law, we do not use our programs, official website, social media accounts, publications, venues, participant lists, contact networks or any other resource of the organization for the campaign of any party or candidate.
Nor do we solicit participants to vote for any party or candidate, or urge them to vote or not vote for anyone.
In the Mock Ward Mayoral Election and our other hands-on programs, candidates and election settings are fictional as a matter of course.
Even where real local problems, policies, statistics or administrative plans are used as material, we never suggest, recommend or rule out any particular vote in a real election.
5. Cross-party participation and multiple perspectives
When we invite politicians, officials, researchers, practitioners or other outside contributors, we make every effort to secure cross-party participation and cooperation.
By cross-party we do not mean simply listing several party names. We mean a state in which differing political positions and policy perspectives are fairly open to the learner.
We do not, however, treat it as an obligation to invite equal numbers from every party or position at every event; scheduling, expertise, local relationships, the purpose of the program and who is actually available may make formal balance impossible.
Where that happens, we correct for the imbalance across the event or the program as a whole, by:
- presenting material, data or arguments from differing positions alongside each other;
- dealing with objections and criticisms of what a speaker has argued;
- guaranteeing participants the freedom to question and to disagree;
- inviting people from different positions on other occasions;
- distinguishing clearly between a speaker's own view and our official position.
The mere fact that a politician or party figure has taken part in something of ours does not mean we support that person, their party or their political position.
6. Rules that make dialogue possible
When we deal with political or social questions, we design the program on the following principles:
- distinguish, as far as possible, between fact, forecast, evaluation and personal opinion;
- check the source of every statistic, document and quotation;
- distinguish official government positions from criticism of them;
- never present one position as the only right answer;
- never give undue emphasis to one matter or one view;
- never require participants to reach a particular conclusion, or a moderate one;
- guarantee the freedom not to speak, to reserve judgement, and to change one's mind;
- permit no personal attack, intimidation, ridicule, discriminatory language or anything else that destroys dialogue;
- argue on evidence and reasoning, not on force of assertion;
- accept ending without agreement as a legitimate result.
We do not treat agreement as the only success.
Understanding each other's premises, evidence and values — establishing how far you agree and where you part — is itself an important democratic outcome.
7. Working with schools and other educational institutions
In work with schools and other educational institutions, we consult the school and the board of education in advance, following the intent of Article 14 of the Basic Act on Education and the Ministry's notices and guidance materials.
That consultation covers, as a matter of course:
- the purpose of the program and its learning objectives;
- the materials, statistics and documents to be used;
- the political and social questions to be dealt with;
- who will speak and who will take part;
- how discussion and questions will be run;
- how photography and publication will be handled;
- the risks around political neutrality and how they will be handled.
The Ministry has indicated that real, concrete political matters should be dealt with while maintaining political neutrality, and that understanding should be deepened through practical activities such as mock elections and mock assemblies.
On that basis, we do not exclude real political questions wholesale from work with schools.
Taking account of participants' stage of development, the learning aims and local circumstances, we present a range of views and perspectives, guard against steering toward any position, and deliver learning that is concrete and practical.
8. Independence in funding and partnership
We accept no funding from any party or political body given with the aim of influencing what we do, what we say or how we decide.
Where we accept sponsorship, donations, grants, goods or services from companies, foundations, public bodies, individuals or anyone else, we confirm that:
- our decision-making and the content of our work remain independent;
- we are not asked to steer anyone toward a political position;
- we are not asked to express political support for or agreement with the giver;
- participants' personal information is not improperly passed on or used;
- the relationship is not used for campaigning or political promotion.
Sponsorship, endorsement, co-hosting or any other relationship does not mean we agree with everything that organization does, advocates or believes.
9. Members' own political freedom
We respect each member's freedom to hold political convictions, express political views, and take part in political activity within the law.
No member may present their own view or activity as if it were our official position or an activity of the organization.
Our official accounts, logo, participant lists, contact networks, venues, funds and other resources may not be used for a member's personal political activity or campaigning.
Stating one's affiliation as a fact in a personal profile is not prohibited. But care must be taken that using a title from this organization does not create the impression that we, as an organization, support or oppose any party, political body or candidate.
Officers and members responsible for official external communication act with particular care, especially during election periods, so that what they say personally is not confused with what the organization says.
10. Judgement, review and amendment
Amendments to this policy are made following deliberation by the board.
Adopted July 2026, effective on approval by the board.