HISTORY OF FAMILY AND OF ITS NURTURE AND EDUCATION* : JAPAN, FROM THE 17TH CENTURY TO THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

In this article. I have attempted to describe the out]ine of history of family, and that of its nurture and education in Japan from the 1 7th century to the 20th century. The rationales of setting this research is as follows : a) The pioneer of the concept of 'education' was, historically, the modern family which had become independent of medieval communities. Therefore, the total history of education should include some historical processes of nurture and education carried out by families somehow. b) Japanese school system, now, maintains a high level academic achievement and educational population (the ratio of student who goes on to the universities and colleges, 37%)･ However, on the other hand, it has some weak points in it. One of them comes from the breaking up of the family-education. When the public school system started in the 19th century, the autonomy of Japanese families were gradually developing among almost all classes. Although, as with the lower 'classes, the birth, the death, schooling and other phases of life course of the children were yet, in many cases, considered and regulated under the control of the ,kinships or local communities, its tendency was gradually declining. The policy of Meiji Government concerning family-education, which started in 1 882,