Han school
Encyclopedia
The han school was an educational institution in the Edo period
of Japan
, originally established to educate children of daimyo
(feudal lords) and their retainers in the domains outside of the capital. These institutions were also known as hangaku (藩学), hangakkō (藩学校) or hankō (藩黌).
These schools existed until 1871, when the domains were abolished after the Meiji Restoration
of 1868. The han schools were at first narrowly defined as schools of Confucian studies for the cultivation of the samurai
elite, and attendance was both expected of and limited to the children of this class. Late in the period, however, children of other social classes were permitted to attend, and the curriculum was expanded from its core in the Confucian classics to include training in classical Japanese studies (kokugaku
), medicine, and the various branches of Western learning
, including mathematics, astronomy, military science, and ballistics. Students entered at age 7 or 8 and usually completed their courses of study between the ages of 15 and 20. By the 1860s there were about 255 han schools nationwide.
The han schools, which predominated in provincial regions, were similar to and paralleled the terakoya
or 'temple-school' system of education which was more prominent in the major urban centers of the capital, Edo
, and Osaka
and Kyoto
. The major difference between two systems was that hanko were state institutions organized by the local domain government, and terakoya were private institutions organized by local Buddhist temples.
Some of the more famous han schools included Nisshinkan (Aizu
), Kōdōkan (Mito
), Meirindō (Sendai
), Meirinkan
(Hagi
, Yamaguchi
) and Jishuukan
(Kumamoto).
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, originally established to educate children of daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
(feudal lords) and their retainers in the domains outside of the capital. These institutions were also known as hangaku (藩学), hangakkō (藩学校) or hankō (藩黌).
These schools existed until 1871, when the domains were abolished after the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
of 1868. The han schools were at first narrowly defined as schools of Confucian studies for the cultivation of the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
elite, and attendance was both expected of and limited to the children of this class. Late in the period, however, children of other social classes were permitted to attend, and the curriculum was expanded from its core in the Confucian classics to include training in classical Japanese studies (kokugaku
Kokugaku
Kokugaku was a National revival, or, school of Japanese philology and philosophy originating during the Tokugawa period...
), medicine, and the various branches of Western learning
Rangaku
Rangaku is a body of knowledge developed by Japan through its contacts with the Dutch enclave of Dejima, which allowed Japan to keep abreast of Western technology and medicine in the period when the country was closed to foreigners, 1641–1853, because of the Tokugawa shogunate’s policy of national...
, including mathematics, astronomy, military science, and ballistics. Students entered at age 7 or 8 and usually completed their courses of study between the ages of 15 and 20. By the 1860s there were about 255 han schools nationwide.
The han schools, which predominated in provincial regions, were similar to and paralleled the terakoya
Terakoya
Terakoya were private educational institutions that taught writing and reading to the children of Japanese commoners during the Edo period.-History:...
or 'temple-school' system of education which was more prominent in the major urban centers of the capital, Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
, and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. The major difference between two systems was that hanko were state institutions organized by the local domain government, and terakoya were private institutions organized by local Buddhist temples.
Some of the more famous han schools included Nisshinkan (Aizu
Aizu
is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...
), Kōdōkan (Mito
Mito Domain
was a prominent feudal domain in Japan during the Edo period. Its capital was the city of Mito, and it covered much of present-day Ibaraki Prefecture. Beginning with the appointment of Tokugawa Yorifusa by his father, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, in 1608, the Mito branch of the Tokugawa clan...
), Meirindō (Sendai
Sendai Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. Most of its holdings were contiguous, covering all of modern-day Miyagi Prefecture, small portions of southern Iwate Prefecture, and a portion of northeastern Fukushima Prefecture. The domain's capital, and the ruling family's castle, were located in what...
), Meirinkan
Meirinkan
was a han school located in the Chōshū Domain of Japan. The school was one of the three major educational institutions in Japan, along with the Kōdōkan in Mito Domain and Shizutani School in Okayama Domain.- History :...
(Hagi
Hagi, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan and was incorporated as a city on July 1, 1932. Formerly part of Abu District.On March 6, 2005, the former city of Hagi merged with the towns of Susa and Tamagawa, and the villages of Asahi, Fukue, Kawakami and Mutsumi to form the new city of Hagi.Iwami Airport...
, Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
) and Jishuukan
Jishuukan
Jishuukan was the Han school of Kumamoto, Japan existing between 1755 and 1870. It was established by Hosokawa Shigekata, the 6th Hosokawa clan daimyo of Higo Province, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, inside Kumamoto Castle and this school is known for producing many noted scholars such as Yokoi Shounan, Inoue...
(Kumamoto).