The four field groups and their placement rationale
Our organization through Japanese high school subjects and perspectives on knowledge, with the group and placement rationale for all 298 fields.
This reference documents Rokugeisha’s organization for reading the distribution layout. It is neither an official survey classification nor a statistical clustering of responses. We assign each field to one group without changing the original labels or response counts.
The school-subject starting points and the four groups used in the chart are distinct arrangements. Physical geography, for example, can connect to school geography while being placed under nature, materials and technology in the chart. The tables below show the starting points and individual judgments.
English labels and explanations are Rokugeisha’s editorial translations, not official Cabinet Office or school-curriculum translations.
Starting points in high school subjects and courses
Our initial arrangement gave 209 of the 299 entries, including “Other,” a starting point in high school subjects and courses: 109 through general subjects and 100 through specialized subjects. The headings below are guides to content; they are not all official course titles.
These connections do not establish that the full specialist field is taught in high school or covered by a particular textbook. We use both general and specialized subjects to help readers approach specialist fields through familiar learning.
109 entries approached through general subjects
Japanese language / How language works
Geography and history / Regions, everyday life and disaster preparedness
- 70 · Physical geography (landforms, climate, hydrology, land use, maps, geographic information systems, etc.)
- 71 · Natural disaster science and disaster prevention (seismology, tsunamis, volcanology, earthquakes, weather-related and other natural disasters, community disaster prevention, reconstruction engineering, disaster prediction, countermeasures and risk, etc.)
- 185 · Area studies (Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, Oceania, etc.)
- 187 · Human geography (economic and transport geography; social, political and urban geography; regional geography)
Geography and history / Japanese history
Geography and history / World history and historical inquiry
Civics / Thought, ethics and religion
Civics / Law, politics and social issues
- 77 · Environmental policy and environmental sociology (economics, law, etc.)
- 156 · Social systems engineering (social systems, etc.) and policy science
- 158 · Gender studies
- 162 · Law relating to emerging areas: intellectual property, information, media, environment, medicine, consumers and others
- 163 · Social law, including labor, social security and education law
- 164 · International law
- 165 · Criminal law (including juvenile law) and criminal procedure
- 166 · Constitutional law, administrative law, tax law and related fields
- 167 · Foundations of law (legal philosophy, legal history, legal policy studies, foreign law, law and economics, etc.)
- 168 · Political science and public administration (theory, political processes, elections, local government, public policy, etc.)
- 169 · International relations (security, international exchange and cooperation, etc.)
Civics / How the economy works
- 170 · Public economics (healthcare, labor and social security) and public finance
- 171 · Economic policy, including industrial organization, the Japanese economy, and international, urban, regional, transport and environmental economics
- 174 · Economic theory
- 175 · Economic doctrines and thought, and economic history
Mathematics / Numbers, expressions, functions and analysis
Mathematics / Geometry and discrete counting
Mathematics / Statistics and mathematical models
Science / Physics
- 31 · Condensed matter physics: applications (electronic materials [semiconductors, dielectrics, magnetic materials, insulators, etc.], etc.)
- 32 · Condensed matter physics (superconductivity, low temperatures, spin properties, etc.)
- 33 · Mathematical physics, statistical physics (from first principles) and thermodynamics
- 34 · Atomic and molecular physics, quantum physics and quantum electronics
- 37 · Fundamental and applied physics (force, heat, light, waves, electromagnetism, etc.)
- 80 · Nuclear fusion science
- 205 · Plasma science and plasma electronics
- 206 · Particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics and quantum beam science
Science / Chemistry
- 36 · Chemistry of functional physical properties (optical, electronic, spin-related, etc.)
- 57 · Theoretical chemistry
- 58 · Fundamental physical chemistry (structure, molecular dynamics, molecular spectroscopy, etc.)
- 59 · Nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry
- 60 · Energy-related chemistry (photocatalysts, etc.)
- 63 · Fundamental organic chemistry (including pharmaceutical synthesis, natural products, etc.)
- 64 · Synthetic chemistry (organometallic catalysts, combinatorial synthesis, natural product synthesis, etc.)
- 65 · Polymer chemistry and functional polymers (including fibers)
- 66 · Natural products and bioorganic chemistry (crude drugs, medicinal resources, structure–activity relationships, biosynthesis, chemical ecology, etc.)
- 67 · Fundamental inorganic chemistry (coordination compounds, etc.)
- 68 · Analytical chemistry
Science / Biology
- 211 · Molecular biology and genome biology / bio-related chemistry (genome structure, gene expression, transcriptomes, genetic engineering, protein engineering, enzyme chemistry, etc.)
- 212 · Structural biochemistry (extracellular matrix, molecular recognition, three-dimensional structure analysis, etc.)
- 213 · Functional biochemistry (enzymes, biological energy conversion, gene expression, membrane transport, etc.)
- 214 · Cell biology (chromosomes, glycans, organelles, cells and tissues, culture engineering, etc.)
- 215 · Developmental biology (including regenerative engineering)
- 216 · Morphology and structure
- 217 · Genetics and human genetics (population genetics, molecular genetics, genetic diagnosis, social genetics, epigenetics, evolutionary biology [molecular and gene evolution], etc.)
- 218 · Systematics and taxonomy (biodiversity)
- 221 · Ecology and biological resource conservation
- 222 · Biological anthropology (physiological anthropology, applications to clothing and ergonomics, medical applications, etc.)
- 224 · Physiology and endocrinology
- 225 · Environmental physiology (physical fitness medicine, nutrition, growth and aging, space medicine, biological rhythms, sleep, etc.)
- 226 · Hematology
- 227 · Immunology, allergology and collagen diseases
- 229 · Medical microbiology (bacteria, viruses, etc.)
- 238 · Neurophysiology, behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, brain genomics and related fields
- 284 · Plant science (molecular and physiological)
- 292 · Animal physiology, behavior and animal science
Science / Earth and space science
- 69 · Meteorology, atmosphere, oceans and the plasmasphere
- 72 · Global warming, environmental change, circulation models and evaluation (assessment, etc.)
- 82 · Geology and mineralogy
- 207 · Astronomy
- 208 · Geophysics, planetary science and planetary evolution, and related fields
- 209 · Geochemistry and cosmochemistry (Earth and cosmic materials, isotopes and radiometric dating, measurement methods, etc.)
- 210 · Paleontology and stratigraphy (fossils, phylogeny, evolution, diversity, etc.)
Health and physical education / Health and prevention
Health and physical education / Exercise and sport
Arts / Visual form and design
Arts / Arts studies spanning visual art and music
Foreign languages / Reading and communicating in English
Home economics / Everyday life, family, clothing, food and housing
- 100 · Housing and residential life studies
- 106 · Home economics and human life studies (childcare, home economics and consumer education, lifestyles, older people's lives, etc.)
- 107 · Child studies (children's environments)
- 108 · Food and dietary life studies (food management, etc.)
- 109 · Clothing and apparel life studies
Information / Programming and information systems
Information / Networks, security and information representation
- 121 · Information networks (IoT, the Internet, mobile communications, wireless LANs, protocols, etc.)
- 122 · Information security (cryptography, authentication, access control, malware countermeasures, biometrics, privacy, etc.)
- 123 · Information theory and coding theory
- 124 · Databases and information retrieval
- 125 · Multimedia information management (multimedia databases, etc.)
- 140 · Web informatics (social networking services, the Semantic Web, etc.)
- 143 · Information design (media, content, interfaces, etc.)
Information / Using data and media
- 126 · Machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, generative AI and data mining
- 130 · Image and video processing (processing and editing, computer graphics, XR [VR, AR and MR], etc.)
- 131 · Speech and acoustic processing (recognition, synthesis, etc.)
- 133 · Human interfaces, interaction and collaborative systems
100 entries approached through specialized subjects
Agriculture / Crops, horticulture and cultivation
Agriculture / Livestock and animal husbandry
Agriculture / Forests and timber
Agriculture / Farmland, water and landscaping
Agriculture / Agricultural management
Agriculture / Agricultural machinery and information
Agriculture / Food and microorganisms
Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing
- 1 · Design engineering (including ergonomics)
- 2 · Mechanisms and machine elements (gears, etc.)
- 3 · Tribology (friction, wear and lubrication)
- 4 · Manufacturing processes (machining, machine tools, etc.)
- 9 · Mechanics of materials (structures, fracture, etc.)
- 10 · Production engineering (production modeling, process planning, etc.)
- 11 · Dynamics of machinery (vibration, noise, etc., including control engineering)
- 48 · Welding, joining and adhesion
Technology / Heat, fluids and engines
Technology / Mechatronics and control
Technology / Motor vehicles and ships
Technology / Electrical equipment and power
- 17 · Electric power engineering and power conversion (transmission, distribution, etc.)
- 18 · Electrical machinery, power electronics and lighting (including motor engineering)
- 78 · Energy conversion and storage (use of solar energy and carbon dioxide, fuel cells, batteries, wireless power transfer, etc.)
- 79 · Nuclear engineering (safety design, reaction control, reactor decommissioning and environmental remediation)
- 81 · Energy studies: electric power (energy systems, smart grids, etc.)
Technology / Electronic circuits, devices and communications
- 19 · Analog circuits (power supplies, high frequency, ultrahigh frequency, pulse circuits, etc.)
- 20 · Digital circuits and large-scale integration (FPGAs, etc.)
- 21 · Electronic devices (semiconductor engineering, superconducting devices, single-electron [quantum-effect] devices, etc.)
- 22 · Electronic equipment and packaging (ultralow-power equipment, large-area flexible displays, etc.)
- 23 · Displays (thin-film displays, large-area displays, flexibility, color information, images, video, information appliances, etc.)
- 25 · Optoelectronics and devices (including optical engineering)
- 120 · Communication engineering (communication methods [wireless, optical, etc.], signal processing, modulation and demodulation, etc.)
Technology / Materials and processing
- 8 · Mechanical engineering materials
- 29 · Crystal engineering and thick films (including amorphous and noncrystalline materials)
- 30 · Thin films and physical properties of surfaces and interfaces
- 40 · Organic and hybrid materials (organic semiconductors, etc.)
- 41 · Composite materials (fiber-reinforced plastics, metal-, plastic- and ceramic-based composites, etc.)
- 42 · Metallic and inorganic materials and their properties (metals, ceramics, amorphous materials, refractories, physical properties, microstructure control, etc.)
- 43 · Light metal materials (aluminum, titanium, magnesium, etc.)
- 44 · Metals production engineering (reactions, separation and refining, manufacturing processes, energy-saving processes, chemical thermodynamics, etc.)
- 45 · Carbon-based substances and materials
- 46 · Structural and functional materials (thin films, biological, electronic, magnetic, etc.)
- 47 · Surface and interface engineering (physical properties, surface treatment and plating, corrosion and corrosion prevention, etc.)
- 49 · Materials processing and microstructure control (heat treatment, plastic forming, casting, three-dimensional processing, etc.)
- 50 · Design of substances and materials
- 51 · Analysis and evaluation of substances and materials (instrumental analysis, crystal diffraction, materials testing, nondestructive testing, etc.)
Technology / Industrial applications of chemistry
- 52 · Chemical engineering: fundamentals (physical properties, mixing, separation and purification, etc.)
- 53 · Reaction engineering (reaction kinetics, polymerization, etc.)
- 54 · Powder engineering (powder metallurgy, powder processing, etc.)
- 56 · Energy conversion engineering (catalytic and resource-related chemical processes)
Technology / Environment and resource circulation
- 73 · Environmental chemistry (environmental measurement, sensor monitoring, pollutant assessment, etc.)
- 74 · Environmental impact reduction, conservation and restoration (control of wastewater, exhaust gases and waste generation, measures for noise, vibration and ground-related problems, decontamination and remediation, use of biological functions, etc.)
- 75 · Resources and recycling engineering (resource separation and securing resources, environmental compatibility, recycling, etc.)
- 76 · Environmental systems in civil engineering and sanitary engineering
Technology / Civil structures and construction
Technology / Cities, transport and infrastructure
Technology / Architectural planning, structures and building services
Technology / Production management and safety
Commerce / Bookkeeping and accounting
Commerce / Business management and law
Commerce / Tourism
Fisheries / Marine organisms, resources, food and environment
Home economics / Food, nutrition and cooking
Nursing / Foundations of the human body, disease and nursing
Information / Computer foundations
- 112 · Computer systems (architecture, circuits and systems, LSI design, embedded hardware, etc.)
- 113 · System software (operating systems [OS], embedded software, etc.)
- 114 · Middleware (parallel and distributed computing, virtualization, cloud infrastructure, etc.)
- 117 · Terminal device systems (smartphones, wearable devices, etc.)
Welfare / Social welfare
Starting points in objects and methods of knowledge
Of the 90 entries initially left without a school-subject assignment, 88 received the following six starting points. These do not establish new school-subject assignments. The remaining entries are 103, “Drafting and design practice,” whose school connection remains under consideration, and 299, “Other,” whose content cannot be specified. Entry 103 is provisionally placed in C; 299 is not drawn in the chart.
Connecting fields — 15 entries
- 28 · Systems engineering
- 35 · Quantum information theory and quantum computation theory (quantum algorithms, quantum error correction, quantum cryptography and communication, etc.)
- 38 · Nanotechnology: structures, materials and physical properties (fullerenes, nanotubes, graphene, quantum dots and devices, molecular devices, etc.)
- 39 · Nano/micro devices and systems (MEMS, NEMS, etc.)
- 61 · Molecular device chemistry (semiconductors, light, batteries, etc.)
- 62 · Physics of biological, chemical and other phenomena (polymers, colloids, photosynthesis, biological systems, etc.)
- 129 · Intelligent robotics (autonomous systems, digital human models, etc.)
- 134 · Kansei information processing (Kansei studies [design, expression, psychology, the brain, environment, management], etc.), cognitive science and social neuroscience
- 219 · Bioinformatics and systems genomics (gene, protein and metabolic networks, etc.)
- 277 · Nanobioscience (DNA devices, biochips, genome engineering, etc.)
- 278 · Bioengineering (biosensors, bioreactors, food engineering, etc.)
- 280 · Biomaterials (materials for regenerative medicine and engineering, drug delivery systems, etc.)
- 281 · Bioinformatics, medical informatics and medical systems (biological and biomedical information, medical information, biomedical engineering, medical imaging, healthcare systems, health technology assessment, etc.)
- 282 · Radiological science and technology (CT, PET, MRI, diagnostic radiology, radiation therapy, nuclear medical physics, accelerators, etc.)
- 283 · Health and welfare engineering (technologies to prevent or support long-term care needs, welfare and care equipment and robots, functional substitution, etc.)
Mathematical and computational approaches — 8 entries
- 119 · Automata and formal language theory, computability and computational complexity theory
- 127 · Knowledge processing, reasoning and ontologies
- 128 · Natural language processing (including lexical ontologies)
- 136 · Operations research (OR, mathematical programming, combinatorial optimization, etc.)
- 138 · High-performance computing (HPC, parallel and distributed processing, numerical analysis, simulation, etc.)
- 152 · Finance and financial engineering
- 173 · Econometrics and economic statistics
- 202 · Mathematical logic, foundations of mathematics and mathematical informatics: fundamentals
Organizing around objects and problems — 9 entries
- 14 · Aerospace engineering
- 16 · Ocean engineering
- 83 · Earth and resource systems engineering (crustal engineering, resource development, waste disposal, geological contamination, etc.)
- 98 · Building economics
- 102 · Workshop practice (use of vacant houses, community and house building, disaster prevention, making things, local and business challenges, etc.)
- 135 · Entertainment and game studies (media art, 3D, music, online games, etc.)
- 151 · Service engineering (service management, knowledge management, smart communities [including healthcare and welfare], etc.)
- 155 · Marketing, distribution and insurance
- 220 · Coexistence with nature and creation of sustainable systems (ecosystems, environmental purification, biomass, resource circulation, etc.)
Understanding people, society and culture — 9 entries
- 141 · Library and information science, humanistic and social informatics (digital archives, information resource management, etc.)
- 147 · Social psychology (social phenomena, leadership, consumer behavior, etc.)
- 148 · Clinical psychology (psychotherapy, psychological assessment, etc.)
- 157 · Sociology in general (theory and research, family, community, industry, environment, media, discrimination, ethnicity, etc.)
- 160 · Medical sociology
- 184 · Cultural heritage and museum studies
- 188 · Cultural and social anthropology, folklore studies and minorities
- 192 · Representation and popular culture, film and performing arts, arts policy and the arts industry
- 196 · European literature (French, German, Russian literature, etc.)
Examining learning and education — 7 entries
- 142 · Learning and educational support systems, and educational technology (learning support, curricula, ICT use, e-learning, etc.)
- 144 · Subject teaching, education beyond school subjects, career guidance, special needs education, science education and school science teaching
- 145 · Educational studies, educational administration and school management
- 146 · Educational psychology and experimental psychology
- 159 · Sociology of education
- 189 · Foreign languages and foreign language education (teaching methods, second language acquisition, early foreign language education)
- 190 · Japanese language education
Investigating life, disease and medicine — 40 entries
- 230 · Parasitology (including medical entomology and zoology)
- 232 · Science of radiation and chemical effects
- 233 · Cancer biology (signal transduction, apoptosis, cell adhesion, stem cells, carcinogenesis, cancer invasion and metastasis, cancer immunity, etc.)
- 234 · Cancer diagnostics (genome analysis, personalized medicine, biomarkers, molecular imaging, etc.)
- 235 · Cancer therapy (anticancer substances, molecular targets, immunotherapy, antibody therapy, etc.)
- 236 · Medical genomics and pathobiochemistry (genetic diagnosis, genome-based drug discovery, developmental and regenerative medicine, aging, metabolic disorders, human population genetics, etc.)
- 237 · Neurology (clinical and molecular) and neurosurgery
- 240 · Neurochemistry and neuropharmacology
- 241 · Brain measurement and brain informatics
- 242 · Psychiatry (psychopharmacology, psychophysiology, psychopathology, social psychiatry)
- 243 · Anesthesiology (anesthesia, perinatal management, pain management, etc.)
- 244 · Gastroenterology (gastrointestinal studies, etc.) and gastrointestinal surgery
- 245 · Cardiovascular medicine (clinical cardiology, vascular medicine, etc.) and cardiovascular surgery (cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, etc.)
- 246 · Respiratory medicine (clinical respiratory medicine, molecular and cellular respiratory medicine) and thoracic surgery (lung surgery, tracheal surgery)
- 247 · Nephrology (kidney medicine, dialysis, etc.)
- 248 · Pediatrics
- 249 · Fetal and neonatal medicine
- 250 · Obstetrics and gynecology (including reproductive and menopausal medicine)
- 251 · Dermatology
- 252 · Urology
- 253 · Otorhinolaryngology
- 254 · Ophthalmology
- 255 · Orthopedic surgery
- 256 · Plastic and reconstructive surgery (reconstruction, wounds, microsurgery, transplantation, regeneration)
- 257 · Pain studies (including numbness, itching and analgesics)
- 258 · Emergency medicine
- 259 · Psychosomatic, traditional East Asian, palliative and geriatric medicine, and related fields
- 260 · Dentistry
- 261 · Dental engineering, regenerative dentistry and dental radiology
- 264 · Physical, occupational and speech therapy, rehabilitation science and gerontology
- 266 · Forensic medicine
- 267 · Hospital and healthcare management
- 270 · Medicinal chemistry (pharmaceuticals, molecular design, genome-based drug discovery) and chemical biology
- 271 · Pharmaceutics
- 272 · Pharmacology
- 273 · Pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism / metabolism, metabolic syndrome and related fields
- 274 · Environmental and hygienic pharmacy, hygiene and public health (environmental chemistry, food hygiene, poisoning, environmental toxicity, cosmetic science / community healthcare, industry, administration, etc.)
- 275 · Clinical, hospital and social pharmacy / clinical pharmaceutical practice and drug information
- 276 · Clinical laboratory science (immunology and serology, genetic and tumor testing, clinical microbiology, etc.)
- 295 · Veterinary medicine
Assignments and rationale for all 298 fields
The order matches the chart: A–D, then original field code within each group. We show school-subject starting points alongside individual placement judgments. This order does not measure the value, difficulty or similarity of fields.
A Language, culture and society — 57 fields
| Code | Field | Starting point and placement rationale |
|---|---|---|
| 77 | Environmental policy and environmental sociology (economics, law, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 98 | Building economics | Knowledge perspective: Organizing around objects and problems. The guide is the economic aspect of architecture; this also connects with building technology. |
| 102 | Workshop practice (use of vacant houses, community and house building, disaster prevention, making things, local and business challenges, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Organizing around objects and problems. The guide is collaborative practice addressing community, business and related problems. |
| 110 | Product design (including universal design) | School-subject proposal: General / Arts / Visual form and design |
| 111 | Design theory and design studies | School-subject proposal: General / Arts / Visual form and design |
| 141 | Library and information science, humanistic and social informatics (digital archives, information resource management, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Understanding people, society and culture |
| 142 | Learning and educational support systems, and educational technology (learning support, curricula, ICT use, e-learning, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Examining learning and education |
| 144 | Subject teaching, education beyond school subjects, career guidance, special needs education, science education and school science teaching | Knowledge perspective: Examining learning and education |
| 145 | Educational studies, educational administration and school management | Knowledge perspective: Examining learning and education |
| 146 | Educational psychology and experimental psychology | Knowledge perspective: Examining learning and education |
| 147 | Social psychology (social phenomena, leadership, consumer behavior, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Understanding people, society and culture |
| 151 | Service engineering (service management, knowledge management, smart communities [including healthcare and welfare], etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Organizing around objects and problems. The main guide is services and their management. |
| 153 | Accounting and bookkeeping | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Commerce / Bookkeeping and accounting |
| 154 | Business organization and strategy, ventures, human resource management and management of technology (MOT) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Commerce / Business management and law |
| 155 | Marketing, distribution and insurance | Knowledge perspective: Organizing around objects and problems. The guide is social systems such as markets, distribution and insurance. |
| 156 | Social systems engineering (social systems, etc.) and policy science | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 157 | Sociology in general (theory and research, family, community, industry, environment, media, discrimination, ethnicity, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Understanding people, society and culture |
| 158 | Gender studies | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 159 | Sociology of education | Knowledge perspective: Examining learning and education |
| 160 | Medical sociology | Knowledge perspective: Understanding people, society and culture |
| 161 | Civil law, commercial law (company law, financial law, securities law, etc.) and civil procedure | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Commerce / Business management and law |
| 162 | Law relating to emerging areas: intellectual property, information, media, environment, medicine, consumers and others | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 163 | Social law, including labor, social security and education law | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 164 | International law | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 165 | Criminal law (including juvenile law) and criminal procedure | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 166 | Constitutional law, administrative law, tax law and related fields | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 167 | Foundations of law (legal philosophy, legal history, legal policy studies, foreign law, law and economics, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 168 | Political science and public administration (theory, political processes, elections, local government, public policy, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 169 | International relations (security, international exchange and cooperation, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Law, politics and social issues |
| 170 | Public economics (healthcare, labor and social security) and public finance | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / How the economy works |
| 171 | Economic policy, including industrial organization, the Japanese economy, and international, urban, regional, transport and environmental economics | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / How the economy works |
| 172 | Agricultural economics, management and policy, and agricultural development (food self-sufficiency and security, local production for local consumption, technology transfer, rural sociology, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Agriculture / Agricultural management The guide is the economic aspect of agriculture. |
| 174 | Economic theory | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / How the economy works |
| 175 | Economic doctrines and thought, and economic history | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / How the economy works |
| 176 | History of science and technology, and studies of technology | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / World history and historical inquiry |
| 177 | Philosophy, ethics, intellectual history, Buddhist studies and related fields | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Thought, ethics and religion |
| 178 | Religious studies (including history, philosophy and sociology of religion) | School-subject proposal: General / Civics / Thought, ethics and religion |
| 179 | Japanese history | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / Japanese history |
| 180 | European and American history | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / World history and historical inquiry |
| 181 | Asian and African history | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / World history and historical inquiry |
| 182 | History in general (historical theory, historical methodology, source studies, comparative history, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / World history and historical inquiry |
| 183 | Archaeology | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / World history and historical inquiry |
| 184 | Cultural heritage and museum studies | Knowledge perspective: Understanding people, society and culture |
| 185 | Area studies (Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, Oceania, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / Regions, everyday life and disaster preparedness |
| 186 | Tourism studies | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Commerce / Tourism |
| 187 | Human geography (economic and transport geography; social, political and urban geography; regional geography) | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / Regions, everyday life and disaster preparedness |
| 188 | Cultural and social anthropology, folklore studies and minorities | Knowledge perspective: Understanding people, society and culture |
| 189 | Foreign languages and foreign language education (teaching methods, second language acquisition, early foreign language education) | Knowledge perspective: Examining learning and education |
| 190 | Japanese language education | Knowledge perspective: Examining learning and education |
| 191 | Linguistics (including Japanese and English linguistics) | School-subject proposal: General / Japanese language / How language works |
| 192 | Representation and popular culture, film and performing arts, arts policy and the arts industry | Knowledge perspective: Understanding people, society and culture |
| 193 | Aesthetics, art history, art theory and musicology | School-subject proposal: General / Arts / Arts studies spanning visual art and music |
| 194 | Japanese literature | School-subject proposal: General / Japanese language / Reading literature |
| 195 | English and Anglophone literature | School-subject proposal: General / Foreign languages / Reading and communicating in English |
| 196 | European literature (French, German, Russian literature, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Understanding people, society and culture |
| 197 | Chinese literature | School-subject proposal: General / Japanese language / Reading literature |
| 198 | Literature in general (literature of various regions and languages, literary theory, comparative literature, bibliography, philology, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Japanese language / Reading literature |
B Mathematics and information — 38 fields
| Code | Field | Starting point and placement rationale |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Quantum information theory and quantum computation theory (quantum algorithms, quantum error correction, quantum cryptography and communication, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The guide is quantum information and computation as methods. |
| 112 | Computer systems (architecture, circuits and systems, LSI design, embedded hardware, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Information / Computer foundations |
| 113 | System software (operating systems [OS], embedded software, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Information / Computer foundations |
| 114 | Middleware (parallel and distributed computing, virtualization, cloud infrastructure, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Information / Computer foundations |
| 115 | Application software (network applications, business software, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Programming and information systems |
| 116 | Software fundamentals (programming, specification, software engineering, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Programming and information systems |
| 117 | Terminal device systems (smartphones, wearable devices, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Information / Computer foundations |
| 118 | Algorithms | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Programming and information systems |
| 119 | Automata and formal language theory, computability and computational complexity theory | Knowledge perspective: Mathematical and computational approaches |
| 121 | Information networks (IoT, the Internet, mobile communications, wireless LANs, protocols, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Networks, security and information representation |
| 122 | Information security (cryptography, authentication, access control, malware countermeasures, biometrics, privacy, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Networks, security and information representation |
| 123 | Information theory and coding theory | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Networks, security and information representation |
| 124 | Databases and information retrieval | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Networks, security and information representation |
| 125 | Multimedia information management (multimedia databases, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Networks, security and information representation |
| 126 | Machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, generative AI and data mining | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Using data and media |
| 127 | Knowledge processing, reasoning and ontologies | Knowledge perspective: Mathematical and computational approaches |
| 128 | Natural language processing (including lexical ontologies) | Knowledge perspective: Mathematical and computational approaches |
| 129 | Intelligent robotics (autonomous systems, digital human models, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The main guide is intelligence and information processing; this also connects with device technologies. |
| 130 | Image and video processing (processing and editing, computer graphics, XR [VR, AR and MR], etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Using data and media |
| 131 | Speech and acoustic processing (recognition, synthesis, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Using data and media |
| 133 | Human interfaces, interaction and collaborative systems | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Using data and media |
| 134 | Kansei information processing (Kansei studies [design, expression, psychology, the brain, environment, management], etc.), cognitive science and social neuroscience | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The main guide is information processing. This broad label also includes cognition, psychology, the brain and design. |
| 135 | Entertainment and game studies (media art, 3D, music, online games, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Organizing around objects and problems. The main guide is information technology in games and media; this also connects with art and expression. |
| 136 | Operations research (OR, mathematical programming, combinatorial optimization, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Mathematical and computational approaches |
| 137 | Applied statistics, statistical science and data science (including AI applications) | School-subject proposal: General / Mathematics / Statistics and mathematical models |
| 138 | High-performance computing (HPC, parallel and distributed processing, numerical analysis, simulation, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Mathematical and computational approaches |
| 139 | Mathematical models (complex systems, chaos, fractals, scale-free systems, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Mathematics / Statistics and mathematical models |
| 140 | Web informatics (social networking services, the Semantic Web, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Networks, security and information representation |
| 143 | Information design (media, content, interfaces, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Information / Networks, security and information representation |
| 152 | Finance and financial engineering | Knowledge perspective: Mathematical and computational approaches |
| 173 | Econometrics and economic statistics | Knowledge perspective: Mathematical and computational approaches |
| 199 | Mathematical analysis (functional equations, dynamical systems, probability theory, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Mathematics / Numbers, expressions, functions and analysis |
| 200 | Algebra (algebraic analysis, applications of algebra, algebraic geometry, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Mathematics / Numbers, expressions, functions and analysis |
| 201 | Geometry (geometric analysis, topology, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Mathematics / Geometry and discrete counting |
| 202 | Mathematical logic, foundations of mathematics and mathematical informatics: fundamentals | Knowledge perspective: Mathematical and computational approaches |
| 203 | Discrete mathematics | School-subject proposal: General / Mathematics / Geometry and discrete counting |
| 204 | Numerical analysis, mathematical statistics, game theory and experimental design | School-subject proposal: General / Mathematics / Statistics and mathematical models |
| 219 | Bioinformatics and systems genomics (gene, protein and metabolic networks, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The guide is studying life through information and systems. |
C Nature, materials and technology — 110 fields
| Code | Field | Starting point and placement rationale |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Design engineering (including ergonomics) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing |
| 2 | Mechanisms and machine elements (gears, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing |
| 3 | Tribology (friction, wear and lubrication) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing |
| 4 | Manufacturing processes (machining, machine tools, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing |
| 5 | Combustion / heat engines (refrigeration, air conditioning, thermodynamics, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Heat, fluids and engines |
| 6 | Heat transfer and thermophysical properties (transport phenomena, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Heat, fluids and engines |
| 7 | Fluid engineering and fluid machinery | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Heat, fluids and engines |
| 8 | Mechanical engineering materials | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 9 | Mechanics of materials (structures, fracture, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing |
| 10 | Production engineering (production modeling, process planning, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing |
| 11 | Dynamics of machinery (vibration, noise, etc., including control engineering) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing |
| 12 | Mechatronics and robotics | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechatronics and control |
| 13 | Automotive engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Motor vehicles and ships |
| 14 | Aerospace engineering | Knowledge perspective: Organizing around objects and problems. The guide is aerospace engineering. |
| 15 | Naval architecture | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Motor vehicles and ships |
| 16 | Ocean engineering | Knowledge perspective: Organizing around objects and problems. The guide is ocean engineering. |
| 17 | Electric power engineering and power conversion (transmission, distribution, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electrical equipment and power |
| 18 | Electrical machinery, power electronics and lighting (including motor engineering) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electrical equipment and power |
| 19 | Analog circuits (power supplies, high frequency, ultrahigh frequency, pulse circuits, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electronic circuits, devices and communications |
| 20 | Digital circuits and large-scale integration (FPGAs, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electronic circuits, devices and communications |
| 21 | Electronic devices (semiconductor engineering, superconducting devices, single-electron [quantum-effect] devices, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electronic circuits, devices and communications |
| 22 | Electronic equipment and packaging (ultralow-power equipment, large-area flexible displays, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electronic circuits, devices and communications |
| 23 | Displays (thin-film displays, large-area displays, flexibility, color information, images, video, information appliances, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electronic circuits, devices and communications |
| 24 | Automotive electronics (audio and video, controller area networks, electric vehicles, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Motor vehicles and ships |
| 25 | Optoelectronics and devices (including optical engineering) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electronic circuits, devices and communications |
| 26 | Measurement engineering (including optical measurement) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechatronics and control |
| 27 | Control engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechatronics and control |
| 28 | Systems engineering | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The main guide is systems design and engineering. |
| 29 | Crystal engineering and thick films (including amorphous and noncrystalline materials) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 30 | Thin films and physical properties of surfaces and interfaces | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 31 | Condensed matter physics: applications (electronic materials [semiconductors, dielectrics, magnetic materials, insulators, etc.], etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Physics |
| 32 | Condensed matter physics (superconductivity, low temperatures, spin properties, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Physics |
| 33 | Mathematical physics, statistical physics (from first principles) and thermodynamics | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Physics |
| 34 | Atomic and molecular physics, quantum physics and quantum electronics | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Physics |
| 36 | Chemistry of functional physical properties (optical, electronic, spin-related, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 37 | Fundamental and applied physics (force, heat, light, waves, electromagnetism, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Physics |
| 38 | Nanotechnology: structures, materials and physical properties (fullerenes, nanotubes, graphene, quantum dots and devices, molecular devices, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The guides are structures, materials and physical properties. |
| 39 | Nano/micro devices and systems (MEMS, NEMS, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The guide is devices and systems at small scales. |
| 40 | Organic and hybrid materials (organic semiconductors, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 41 | Composite materials (fiber-reinforced plastics, metal-, plastic- and ceramic-based composites, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 42 | Metallic and inorganic materials and their properties (metals, ceramics, amorphous materials, refractories, physical properties, microstructure control, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 43 | Light metal materials (aluminum, titanium, magnesium, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 44 | Metals production engineering (reactions, separation and refining, manufacturing processes, energy-saving processes, chemical thermodynamics, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 45 | Carbon-based substances and materials | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 46 | Structural and functional materials (thin films, biological, electronic, magnetic, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 47 | Surface and interface engineering (physical properties, surface treatment and plating, corrosion and corrosion prevention, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 48 | Welding, joining and adhesion | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechanical design and manufacturing |
| 49 | Materials processing and microstructure control (heat treatment, plastic forming, casting, three-dimensional processing, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 50 | Design of substances and materials | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 51 | Analysis and evaluation of substances and materials (instrumental analysis, crystal diffraction, materials testing, nondestructive testing, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Materials and processing |
| 52 | Chemical engineering: fundamentals (physical properties, mixing, separation and purification, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Industrial applications of chemistry |
| 53 | Reaction engineering (reaction kinetics, polymerization, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Industrial applications of chemistry |
| 54 | Powder engineering (powder metallurgy, powder processing, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Industrial applications of chemistry |
| 55 | Instrumentation, process control and systems design | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechatronics and control |
| 56 | Energy conversion engineering (catalytic and resource-related chemical processes) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Industrial applications of chemistry |
| 57 | Theoretical chemistry | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 58 | Fundamental physical chemistry (structure, molecular dynamics, molecular spectroscopy, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 59 | Nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 60 | Energy-related chemistry (photocatalysts, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 61 | Molecular device chemistry (semiconductors, light, batteries, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The guide is the chemistry and materials of molecular devices. |
| 62 | Physics of biological, chemical and other phenomena (polymers, colloids, photosynthesis, biological systems, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Connecting fields. The guide is physics as a method for studying multiple phenomena. |
| 63 | Fundamental organic chemistry (including pharmaceutical synthesis, natural products, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 64 | Synthetic chemistry (organometallic catalysts, combinatorial synthesis, natural product synthesis, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 65 | Polymer chemistry and functional polymers (including fibers) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 66 | Natural products and bioorganic chemistry (crude drugs, medicinal resources, structure–activity relationships, biosynthesis, chemical ecology, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 67 | Fundamental inorganic chemistry (coordination compounds, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 68 | Analytical chemistry | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Chemistry |
| 69 | Meteorology, atmosphere, oceans and the plasmasphere | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Earth and space science |
| 70 | Physical geography (landforms, climate, hydrology, land use, maps, geographic information systems, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / Regions, everyday life and disaster preparedness Physical-geography topics such as landforms, climate and hydrology guide the placement. The school geography connection is retained. |
| 71 | Natural disaster science and disaster prevention (seismology, tsunamis, volcanology, earthquakes, weather-related and other natural disasters, community disaster prevention, reconstruction engineering, disaster prediction, countermeasures and risk, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Geography and history / Regions, everyday life and disaster preparedness Disaster prevention and mitigation engineering guides the placement. The school geography connection is retained. |
| 72 | Global warming, environmental change, circulation models and evaluation (assessment, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Earth and space science |
| 73 | Environmental chemistry (environmental measurement, sensor monitoring, pollutant assessment, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Environment and resource circulation |
| 74 | Environmental impact reduction, conservation and restoration (control of wastewater, exhaust gases and waste generation, measures for noise, vibration and ground-related problems, decontamination and remediation, use of biological functions, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Environment and resource circulation |
| 75 | Resources and recycling engineering (resource separation and securing resources, environmental compatibility, recycling, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Environment and resource circulation |
| 76 | Environmental systems in civil engineering and sanitary engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Environment and resource circulation |
| 78 | Energy conversion and storage (use of solar energy and carbon dioxide, fuel cells, batteries, wireless power transfer, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electrical equipment and power |
| 79 | Nuclear engineering (safety design, reaction control, reactor decommissioning and environmental remediation) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electrical equipment and power |
| 80 | Nuclear fusion science | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Physics |
| 81 | Energy studies: electric power (energy systems, smart grids, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electrical equipment and power |
| 82 | Geology and mineralogy | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Earth and space science |
| 83 | Earth and resource systems engineering (crustal engineering, resource development, waste disposal, geological contamination, etc.) | Knowledge perspective: Organizing around objects and problems. The guide is earth, resource and environmental engineering. |
| 84 | Structural engineering and maintenance engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Civil structures and construction |
| 85 | Earthquake engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Civil structures and construction |
| 86 | Civil engineering materials | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Civil structures and construction |
| 87 | Civil engineering construction and construction management | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Civil structures and construction |
| 88 | Geotechnical engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Civil structures and construction |
| 89 | Hydraulic engineering (hydraulics and river engineering), coastal and port engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Civil structures and construction |
| 90 | Agricultural civil engineering, regional environmental engineering and planning (water management, conservation, ecosystems, landscapes, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Agriculture / Farmland, water and landscaping Farmland and water engineering guides the placement. The school agriculture connection is retained. |
| 91 | Infrastructure planning | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Cities, transport and infrastructure |
| 92 | Traffic engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Cities, transport and infrastructure |
| 93 | Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Cities, transport and infrastructure |
| 94 | Landscape and design, and the history of civil engineering | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Cities, transport and infrastructure |
| 95 | Urban planning (administration, economics, disaster prevention, landscape and environment) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Cities, transport and infrastructure |
| 96 | Landscape architecture, landscape gardening and green space studies | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Agriculture / Farmland, water and landscaping Landscape planning and technology guide the placement. The school agriculture connection is retained. |
| 97 | Architectural planning (planning theory, design theory, housing studies, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Architectural planning, structures and building services |
| 99 | Architectural design and history | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Architectural planning, structures and building services |
| 101 | Architectural (urban and landscape) design | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Architectural planning, structures and building services |
| 103 | Drafting and design practice | Drawing and design practice provides a provisional direction. Its school-course assignment remains pending. |
| 104 | Built environment and building services | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Architectural planning, structures and building services |
| 105 | Building structures and materials | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Architectural planning, structures and building services |
| 120 | Communication engineering (communication methods [wireless, optical, etc.], signal processing, modulation and demodulation, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Electronic circuits, devices and communications |
| 132 | Information sensing (perceptual information, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Mechatronics and control |
| 149 | Safety engineering and reliability engineering (including risk management, regulation, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Production management and safety |
| 150 | Industrial engineering (including logistics, quality control, project management, etc.) | School-subject proposal: Specialized / Technology / Production management and safety |
| 205 | Plasma science and plasma electronics | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Physics |
| 206 | Particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics and quantum beam science | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Physics |
| 207 | Astronomy | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Earth and space science |
| 208 | Geophysics, planetary science and planetary evolution, and related fields | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Earth and space science |
| 209 | Geochemistry and cosmochemistry (Earth and cosmic materials, isotopes and radiometric dating, measurement methods, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Earth and space science |
| 210 | Paleontology and stratigraphy (fossils, phylogeny, evolution, diversity, etc.) | School-subject proposal: General / Science / Earth and space science |
D Life, health and everyday living — 93 fields
Source: Cabinet Office e-CSTI open data (Japanese) ／ Placement, explanations and English translations: Rokugeisha