Book introduction

　The purpose of this book is to examine the possibility of educational activities (not limited to school education) for the enrichment of workers’ lives, focusing on the space/place where such activities are conducted.
　For this purpose, the main subject of this book is the Kyoto Labor School (1957-present). The term “labor school” is a generic term for educational spaces that (1) mainly target workers, (2) are open outside of formal schools, (3) are also open independently of the workplace, and (4) are “school-type”. Labor schools were established in the 1920s by labor unions, government agencies, and universities, and have continued to be created by various organizations and institutions to the present day. The Kyoto Labor School is one of the longest-lasting and most active of these schools, and is an ideal subject for this study, which seeks to question the meaning of educational space for workers’ lives.