This article presents an overview of the state of traditional music and world music teaching in Japanese compulsory education, and examines the problems that must be solved to achieve better outcomes. It first reviews descriptions involving traditional and world music in the current guidelines for elementary and junior high school, and explores how those items are reflected in two different music textbooks. It is then established that traditional music and world music comprise an important part of the current curriculum guidelines and music textbooks. Next, the article surveys the history of the official guidelines and highlights the significance of the 7th version implemented in 2002, which effectively promoted an expansion of traditional Japanese music practice in junior high school education. With the expectation that students should learn how to play at least one kind of traditional instrument, the guideline made teachers rethink the place of traditional music education as one of their responsibilities. Most students surveyed at my university learned at least one kind of traditional instrument, while on the contrary, world music does not seem to be taught widely, although the current guidelines for junior high school include the overall objective "to deepen understanding of music culture." The last part of the article discusses current problems in teaching traditional music and world music in school, focusing especially on class hours and teachers' voluntary initiatives. Most music teachers have Western music backgrounds; thus, the cooperation of musicologists (including ethnomusicologists) is indispensable for a better educational practice that will contribute to widening the musical concept and perspectives of music teachers as well as young students.