week9 education

In Japan, when we graduate from junior high school, we must enter high school now. It is called compulsory education. But the old days is different. The school whoever can go was made after Meiji period. In Edo period, children who is bushi’s family line could enter the school.

 

In middle Edo period, when Japan was peace, bushi start to study positively.  The shogunate government made the school it was called “syo-hei-zaka-gaku-mon-jo(昌平坂学問所)”. That was how, Each place made the school for the bushi’s children.

 

“Ko-ko-do(好古堂)”　is one of the school in Himeji. Kokodo is built inside the Himeji Castle. First, Kokodo was not in Himeji.  Kokodo was built in Gunma by Sakai tadataka who studied hard.  When Sakai moved Himeji, Kokodo was moved together.

 

What kind of school was Kokodo? Now, in Japan, junior high school children study arithmetic, Japanese, music, and so on. But in Kokodo, children study Confucianism. Children learned importance of vertical relation. People wanted children to grow helpful for society.　So only the boy entered Kokodo as “Sodokusei(素読生)”[Sodokusei means  reading a text aloud without thinking anything]when they were eight years old. It was bushi’s compulsory education.

 

In the class, children use a text of Confucianism. Children study a reading and mean from a teacher. Memorizing was mainly. Children had a test so they reviewed every day.

 

When children finished Sodoku course, they went to “Rinkousei” course.  Children enter the dormitory. Rinkousei course was more difficult than Sodoku course. They study not only Confucianism but also history, geography, and science. They have a test again so they study harder till late at night.

 

Children study not only learning. All children are bushi’s family line. They study kendo, judo, riding, and gunnery. It is very important to be a bushi. So Kokodo has a practice room. When children is to be ten years old, they start to practice military arts from each teachers. It is an ideal to be skilled in both literary and military arts.

 

Now, we have a good teacher. Kokodo had many good teacher. The person who did best in study became “tokugaku(督学)”, it means a principal.

 

Tsunoda Shinzo(角田心臓), Kameyama Unpei(亀山雲平), Sugano Kensuke(菅野愃介)are famous persons. Especially, kameyama became an assistant professor when he was only sixteen years old. Kameyama studied in syo-hei-zaka-gaku-mon-jo(昌平坂学問所). Later kameyama became a Shinto priest in Matsubara shrine. He made the school called ”kankai-koudo(観海講堂)” Kameyama rear many people.

 

In the later Edo period, the common ordinary people could study. It is a private elementary school of Edo period, generally run by one teacher. Children studied reading, writing, and an abacus. This is essential for everyday life.

 

In japan, now, it is natural that we can study every day. But old days is different. We must know the history.

 

Thank you for your reading!