Kuniyoshi Obara
Encyclopedia
was an influential Japanese educational reformer and publisher
. Obara left a strong mark in educational philosophy
and on the theories of liberal education
, arts education and vocational education
. In addition to creating his own educational theory, Zenkin (or "Whole Man") Education, he was among the leaders of the New Education Movement in Japan and disseminated in that country the works of earlier reformers such as Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
. He was the founder of the campus Tamagawa Gakuen
and for many years president of its university, Tamagawa University
.
family on 8 April 1887 in the Kagoshima Prefecture
of Japan, in a village called Kushi, Obara was the grandson of a famous educator, but was adopted into the Ajisaka family in his early childhood after the death of his parents. Obara converted to Christianity in his early adulthood and remained a devout Christian throughout his life. In 1920, he married educator Nobu Takai, who remained his wife until her death six months before his own. In the last months of his life, Obara was diagnosed with disease of the pancreas
and hospitalized. He died on 13 December 1977.
in 1915. There, he was influenced by a number of prominent professors in the Kyoto School
of philosophy, including Kitaro Nishida and Seiichi Hatano
. His first book was published in 1918. Kyôiku no Konpon Mondai to shite no Shûkyô ("Religion as the fundamental problem of education") was a retitling of his bachelor's thesis, Shûkyô ni yoru Kyôiku no Kyûsai ("The salvation of education through religion"), which he had completed the same year.
, Erasmus and Swiss education reformer Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, this philosophy promoted a balanced and individualized approach to the development of the student in the six aspects of truth (veritas; academic ideals), goodness (bonum; moral education), beauty (pulchritudo; art education), holiness (sanctitas; religious education), health (sanitas; physical education) and wealth (copia; vocational education). Obara did prioritize the first four of these aspects, which he considered "absolute values", over the final two, which "instrumental values" were necessary to help achieve the first four but not intrinsically valuable.
In the 1920s, Obara founded three schools: a junior high school (1922), a kindergarten
(1925) and a senior high school
(1926), moving all the schools to create the "Seijyo Gakuen" comprehensive campus in Kinuta. In 1929, wanting a school that would fundamentally embody his own personal education philosophies, Obara decided to create a new complex, Tamagawa Gakuen. Beginning with the elementary school, he gradually built up the campus through the university level. Once his multi-generation campus was completed, he opened additional Tamagawa Gakuen in Japan, the United States and Canada, with campuses in Los Angeles
(1930), Kugenuma (1933), Kushi (1948) and Nanaimo (1976). The Tamagawa Gakuen became famous in Japan for its innovative approach to education.
Throughout this period, Obara also worked as a publisher, a profession he undertook in 1923 with the founding of his Idea Shoin Press, which was later renamed Tamagawa University Press. In 1928, Obara published The Complete Works of Pestalozzi, popularizing the works of the Swiss reformer in Japan. In the early 1930s, he published a 30-volume encyclopedia for Japanese children, the first such encyclopedia in the nation.
From 1967 to 1974, Obara became president of the Japanese section of the UNESCO
World Education Fellowship. Throughout his later life, Obara was a frequent lecturer.
His works have been collected in 48 volumes.
after the Great Depression
, the "Zenjin Education" philosophy retained its influence. Since the early 1970s, it has been part of the Japanese Ministry of Education
's general guidelines.
From the publication of his first book, Obara's work was underscored by his belief that all education should derive from religious education, without which he feared academic education would fail to fully develop the student. Though Obara was a Christian, his religious instruction drew on a variety of religious and moral traditions. He took an equally global view to other elements of education, believing that international education was an important aspect of world peace. He invited a wide variety of international educators to visit his Tamagawa Gakuen campuses.
, Knight, bestowed during his 1975 visit to Denmark
with his wife.
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
. Obara left a strong mark in educational philosophy
Philosophy of education
Philosophy of education can refer to either the academic field of applied philosophy or to one of any educational philosophies that promote a specific type or vision of education, and/or which examine the definition, goals and meaning of education....
and on the theories of liberal education
Liberal education
A Liberal education is a system or course of education suitable for the cultivation of a free human being. It is based on the medieval concept of the liberal arts or, more commonly now, the liberalism of the Age of Enlightenment...
, arts education and vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
. In addition to creating his own educational theory, Zenkin (or "Whole Man") Education, he was among the leaders of the New Education Movement in Japan and disseminated in that country the works of earlier reformers such as Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....
. He was the founder of the campus Tamagawa Gakuen
Tamagawa Gakuen
Tamagawa Gakuen is a school in Tokyo, Japan, covering education from primary school to university. The school was founded by influential Japanese education reformer, Kuniyoshi Obara....
and for many years president of its university, Tamagawa University
Tamagawa University
is a Japanese university located in Machida, Tokyo, Japan. The university consists of 16 departments in 7 faculties , as well as seven programs leading to a master’s degree and four programs leading to a doctorate degree...
.
Personal life
Born to a SamuraiSamurai
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...
family on 8 April 1887 in the Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
of Japan, in a village called Kushi, Obara was the grandson of a famous educator, but was adopted into the Ajisaka family in his early childhood after the death of his parents. Obara converted to Christianity in his early adulthood and remained a devout Christian throughout his life. In 1920, he married educator Nobu Takai, who remained his wife until her death six months before his own. In the last months of his life, Obara was diagnosed with disease of the pancreas
Pancreas
The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist...
and hospitalized. He died on 13 December 1977.
Education
Obara studied at Kagoshima Normal School and Hiroshima Higher Normal School before becoming an English teacher at Kagawa Normal School in Shikoku, where he also taught education and psychology. He entered the Kyoto Imperial UniversityKyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
in 1915. There, he was influenced by a number of prominent professors in the Kyoto School
Kyoto School
The Kyoto School is the name given to the Japanese "philosophical movement centered at Kyoto University that assimilated western philosophy and religious ideas and used them to reformulate religious and moral insights unique to the East Asian cultural tradition." However, it is also used to...
of philosophy, including Kitaro Nishida and Seiichi Hatano
Seiichi Hatano
was a Japanese philosopher, best known for his work in thephilosophy of religion dealing mostly with eastern religion but also western philosophical thoughts in theological aspects of Christianity....
. His first book was published in 1918. Kyôiku no Konpon Mondai to shite no Shûkyô ("Religion as the fundamental problem of education") was a retitling of his bachelor's thesis, Shûkyô ni yoru Kyôiku no Kyûsai ("The salvation of education through religion"), which he had completed the same year.
Professional career
Following his graduation, Obara became the head of the Department of Educational Affairs of the elementary school at Hiroshima Higher Normal. Already involved with the New Education Movement, Obara became the director of the Seijyo Elementary School in 1919. In 1921, Obara joined with seven other educational reformists (Choichi Higuchi, Kiyomaru Kohno, Kishie Tezuka, Kinshichi Inage, Meikichi Chiba, Heiji Oikawa and Noburu Katakami) in the "Eight Educators Educational Advocacy Conference", where he devised his "Zenjin (Whole Person) Education" philosophy. Influenced by PlatoPlato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, Erasmus and Swiss education reformer Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, this philosophy promoted a balanced and individualized approach to the development of the student in the six aspects of truth (veritas; academic ideals), goodness (bonum; moral education), beauty (pulchritudo; art education), holiness (sanctitas; religious education), health (sanitas; physical education) and wealth (copia; vocational education). Obara did prioritize the first four of these aspects, which he considered "absolute values", over the final two, which "instrumental values" were necessary to help achieve the first four but not intrinsically valuable.
In the 1920s, Obara founded three schools: a junior high school (1922), a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
(1925) and a senior high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(1926), moving all the schools to create the "Seijyo Gakuen" comprehensive campus in Kinuta. In 1929, wanting a school that would fundamentally embody his own personal education philosophies, Obara decided to create a new complex, Tamagawa Gakuen. Beginning with the elementary school, he gradually built up the campus through the university level. Once his multi-generation campus was completed, he opened additional Tamagawa Gakuen in Japan, the United States and Canada, with campuses in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(1930), Kugenuma (1933), Kushi (1948) and Nanaimo (1976). The Tamagawa Gakuen became famous in Japan for its innovative approach to education.
Throughout this period, Obara also worked as a publisher, a profession he undertook in 1923 with the founding of his Idea Shoin Press, which was later renamed Tamagawa University Press. In 1928, Obara published The Complete Works of Pestalozzi, popularizing the works of the Swiss reformer in Japan. In the early 1930s, he published a 30-volume encyclopedia for Japanese children, the first such encyclopedia in the nation.
From 1967 to 1974, Obara became president of the Japanese section of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Education Fellowship. Throughout his later life, Obara was a frequent lecturer.
His works have been collected in 48 volumes.
Influence
Obara was highly influential in Japanese education in a number of areas. In his early work, he helped popularize and spread the New Education Movement in Japan. He helped revive Japanese arts education, in significant part a response to his introduction of "school drama" to the elementary studies at Hiroshima Normal. But his greatest contribution was perhaps his theory on "Zenjin Education." Even after the New Education Movement faded in Japan, a result of the rise of militaristic nationalismNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
after the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the "Zenjin Education" philosophy retained its influence. Since the early 1970s, it has been part of the Japanese Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)
The , also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871....
's general guidelines.
From the publication of his first book, Obara's work was underscored by his belief that all education should derive from religious education, without which he feared academic education would fail to fully develop the student. Though Obara was a Christian, his religious instruction drew on a variety of religious and moral traditions. He took an equally global view to other elements of education, believing that international education was an important aspect of world peace. He invited a wide variety of international educators to visit his Tamagawa Gakuen campuses.
Honors
Obara was internationally honored for his work, receiving among other recognition the Royal Order of Commander of the DannebrogOrder of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
, Knight, bestowed during his 1975 visit to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
with his wife.