This study aimed to identify assessment items in compositions from the 1980s to the present and to apply them to future composition assessments. In addition, assessment items were compared and discussed using academic papers. First, in the assessment items of composition found in the eight documents from 1981 to 2012, 'grammar,' 'vocabulary,' and 'accuracy' were emphasized. However, since the 1990s, the item 'richness' has disappeared. Since 2000, the item 'structure' has become more widespread due to qualitative changes in learners, and since 2010, learners' academic performance has changed, resulting in various writing activities. It was found that the item 'writing for one's audience' became common due to changes in purpose. Next, a comparison was made between Tanaka and Abe (2014) and Kanazawa Ed (2014). The evaluation items were similar, suggesting that the essential evaluation items were task, accuracy, structure, audience, style, and writing register. Furthermore, an analysis of ten rubric-based assessments in the academic papers on composition assessment since 2015 found that, in the case of academic writing, particular emphasis was placed on 'structure,' with 'audience' not receiving the attention it deserves. Based on the above, this study suggested that the evaluation items be weighted according to the purpose of writing, rather than all being given the same specific weight for the five basic items: task, accuracy, structure, audience, and style and writing register.