Art Education for Peace: John Dewey’s view of intercultural experience after his visit to Japan in 1919

This study attempts to reframe art education for international democracy by examining Dewey’s thoughts on international education, developed after his encounter with Eastern culture. First, Dewey’s intercultural experiences during his stay in Japan in 1919 are investigated in the context of education, culture, and art. Second, the new line of thought on international education that emerged from his visit to Japan is discussed. Third, his view of the educative nature of intercultural experience articulated in Art as Experience is reviewed in relation to his thoughts on international democracy. Finally, a new dimension of art education contributive to the building of peace is discussed from a Deweyan perspective.This paper was prepared in part for the Centennial Colloquium on Dewey Then and Now at the Laboratory Schools at the University of Chicago in 2019 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Dewey’s visit to the East