The Japanese Ministry of Education has announced the Prescribed Courses of Study for High School Geography in March 1999. It has emphasized the more study of geographical skills and regional geography than the present courses of study implemented in 1989. The purpose of this paper is to make clear why the geographical skills and the study of regional geography has become one of the central core of Japanese high school geography for the 21st century. The conclusions of this study are as follows; (1) In Japan, the prescribed courses of study is used to be edited by the National commission on School Curriculum under the Ministry of Education, of which the basic skeleton is brought by the reports of the National Commission on Education. The 1996 report of the National Commission on Education proposed “zest for living” and the harmonious nationalism for the future citizens of Japan. (2) The revised courses of study 1999, has been written along with the basic philosophy of the “zest for living”. (3) To enhance “zest for living”. the prescribed courses of study for geography requested teachers to have lessons to enhance the geographical skills and the study of regional geography. (4) the development of geographical skills is very important to analyze the geographical issues and regional characters. And (5) The study of regional geography is the key for understanding the other worlds to find the new ideas for making our better life as well as building nationalism since tradition of geography education in Japan.