This article are designed to analyze the representation of national portraits described in the
geography textbooks issued after WWII, and to develop the curriculum unit for critical reading of
the representation of the textbook. The author reveled the following two points by the text analysis
on the geographical location and extent of Japanese territory with the classification of Japanese
modern history (1945-1970: postwar rehabilitation, 1970-1995: economic growth, and
1995-present: emerging international tension). (1) The perspectives toward the national territory
were changed from the island country on the east edge of Asian continent, or the small country
which lost the colonies and resource, to the independent economic power which has many isolated
islands, and to the sea power which has large potential resources in the ocean. (2) The textbook
utilized the graphic organizers like maps and graphs for visualizing the national territory, in order
to ensure the readers’ understanding of its extension or reduction. These graphic representations
were likely to exaggerate the political correct phenomena, in order to unifying the students’
perceptions on the national territory. By applying the frameworks as well as findings of the
textbook analysis, the author illustrated the curriculum unit “Japan in the world”. This unit was
designed for promoting the competency to read the discourses critically, and present their
perspectives actively. In conclusion, the findings and products raise that social studies teachers are
expected to provide students to engage in the critical reading of the geographical knowledge
described in textbook like teachers,