Tanaka Fujimaro
Encyclopedia
was a statesman and educator in Meiji period
Japan
.
Tanaka was born in Owari Province
(present-day Aichi Prefecture
. After the Meiji Restoration
, he was selected to accompany the Iwakura Mission
on its around-the-world journey to the United States
and Europe
. He was especially impressed from what he saw of western educational systems. On his return to Japan in March 1873 (six months earlier than the rest of the Mission), he was made Vice Minister for Education in 1874.
He returned to the United States from 1874-1877 for further first-hand research on school systems. He spent considerable time at Amherst College
and approached Amherst president Julius H. Seelye for advice. He also visited the Centennial Exposition
in Philadelphia, after which he submitted a report with photographs to the government. On his return to Japan, Tanaka strongly criticized the Education Order of 1875, which he felt made the system to centralized and inflexible. The new Education Order of 1879 was based on his experiences in the United States, but it quickly came under attack as being confusing and inviting moral decay. Tanaka transferred from the Ministry of Education in 1880 to the Ministry of Justice
, and subsequently served in various positions in the Meiji government.
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
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...
.
Tanaka was born in Owari Province
Owari Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishū .-History:The province was created in 646....
(present-day Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
. 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...
, he was selected to accompany the Iwakura Mission
Iwakura mission
The Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy was a Japanese diplomatic journey around the world, initiated in 1871 by the oligarchs of the Meiji period. Although it was not the only such "mission", it is the most well-known and possibly most important for the modernization of Japan after a long period...
on its around-the-world journey to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He was especially impressed from what he saw of western educational systems. On his return to Japan in March 1873 (six months earlier than the rest of the Mission), he was made Vice Minister for Education in 1874.
He returned to the United States from 1874-1877 for further first-hand research on school systems. He spent considerable time at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
and approached Amherst president Julius H. Seelye for advice. He also visited the Centennial Exposition
Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
in Philadelphia, after which he submitted a report with photographs to the government. On his return to Japan, Tanaka strongly criticized the Education Order of 1875, which he felt made the system to centralized and inflexible. The new Education Order of 1879 was based on his experiences in the United States, but it quickly came under attack as being confusing and inviting moral decay. Tanaka transferred from the Ministry of Education in 1880 to the Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice (Japan)
The is one of Ministries of the Japanese government.-Meiji Constitution:The Ministry of Justice was established under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1871 as the .-Constitution of Japan:...
, and subsequently served in various positions in the Meiji government.
See also
History of Education in JapanHistory of education in Japan
The history of education in Japan dates back at least to the sixth century, when Chinese learning was introduced at the Yamato court. Foreign civilizations have often provided new ideas for the development of Japan's own culture.-6th to 15th century:...