The main goal of this research is to find out various effect of learning achieved by learners and society in general in a “lifelong learning society” , which aim at guaranteeing every person with various learning opportunities in life-wide dimension of school, home, community, work-place, etc. in all stages of life. Special focus will be put on adult learners who are participating in various learning and who are active in work or in local community in Sweden and Japan. The reason for selecting Japan and Sweden as objects of this studies is that there are traditional culture of learning where citizens organize learning by themselves in their communities, and enjoy their learning in both countries. Both countries have implemented concrete measures to construct lifelong learning society since the 1990’s, and are currently making evaluation of the outcome. There are a number of Swedish policy on lifelong learning which can be see as an good example in considering widening participation of learners in Japan, such as recurrent education system in Sweden, which was implemented in 1970’s, as well as more recent movement of promoting flexible learning and validating outcome of various learning. Firstly, this paper makes comparative analysis on the outline of lifelong learning policy and practice in Sweden and Japan in the past three decades, and to identify trends of lifelong learners in both countries. Secondtly, this paper presents “wider benefits” of learning which learners achieve at home, community, work-place, etc., which were found out from interview to adult learners in Sweden and Japan. The interview was conducted in 2007 and 2008 in both countries to find out how various learning, including learning at school and non-formal learning, is affecting one’s daily life at home, work-place and life as a citizen. The intention was to see various learning experienced by those who are currently active in work-place and in the local community, and to investigate what kind of benefits are actually brought to them. Common questions were used concerning informants' biography, academic background, work experience, improvement of health and quality of life and other things put importance in each one's daily life, value towards society, relation with others and involvement in the community as a citizen. Thirdly, tradition and innovation of learning culture in Sweden and Japan will be analized, and seek for evidence on the effects of lifelong learning for society and economy, as well as for individual learners. (This research is an Exploratory Research funded by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science from year 2006 till 2009.)

For the analysis of various effects of learning, I would like to use the theory of “wider benefits of learning” developed by the research group of Tom Schuller and others in U.K.

The research is expected to find out the structure of wider benefits of learning, wich includes not only aquisition of diploma or degree but also improvement in the relation with family and people in the local community, fulfillment in life, improvement in health condition, increasing interest in issues in the local community, how they are affected by difference of socio-cultural background, life stage, gendre and other factors.