Gakushūin

Gakushūin

Gakushūin

Japanese educational institution in Tokyo

The Gakushūin (学習院), or Gakushuin School Corporation (学校法人学習院), historically known as the Peers' School,[1] is a Japanese educational institution in Tokyo, originally established as Gakushūjo (学習所) to educate the children of Japan's nobility.[2] The original school expanded from its original mandate of educating the social elite and has since become a network of institutions which encompasses preschool through tertiary-level education.

Gakushūin in 1933
Gakushuin emblem

History

The Peers' School was founded in 1847 by Emperor Ninkō in Kyoto and placed under the administration of the Imperial Household Agency.[3] Its purpose was to educate the children of the Imperial aristocracy (kuge).[4] Prior to the disestablishment of the Peerage in 1947, commoners had restricted access to Gakushuin, with limited slots only to the Elementary School and Middle School.

In 1947, with the American-mandated disestablishment of the peerage system, enrollment in Gakushuin was fully opened to the general public. At the same time, administration of the school was transferred to the Ministry of Education.

Precepts

Emperor Ninko had four maxims inscribed on the walls of the Gakushūin building,[5] including

  1. Walk in the paths trodden by the feet of the great sages.[5]
  2. Revere the righteous canons of the empire.[5]
  3. He that has not learned the sacred doctrines, how can he govern himself?[5]
  4. He that is ignorant of the classics, how can he regulate his own conduct?[5]

The school was moved to Tokyo in 1877.[2] Its new purpose was to educate the children of the modern aristocracy. Members of the Imperial Family continue to study at Gakushūin.

Timeline

  • 1847: founded as Peers' School[2]
  • 1877: the school was established in Tokyo[2]
  • 1884: Gakushūin became an Imperial institution.[2]
  • 1885: Peeresses' School was created[3]
  • 1947: Gakushūin became a private institution.[2]

Gakushuin Corporation

The present-day Gakushuin School Corporation comprises the following institutions:[6]

Presidents

More information No., Name ...

Notable alumni and faculty members

Teachers

Alumni

For alumni of Gakushuin University, see: Gakushūin University#Notable alumni
Imperial House of Japan
House of Yi
Others

In fiction

In the novel Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima, set in the early 1910s, the characters Kiyoaki Matsugae and Shigekuni Honda attend the school.

References

  1. [1]
    Japanese Imperial Commission (1878). Le Japon à l'exposition universelle de 1878. Géographie et histoire du Japon (in French). p. 141.
  2. [2]
    Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2002). "Gakushū-in". Japan Encyclopedia. p. 230. ISBN 9780674017535.
  3. [3]
    "History of Gakushuin". Gakushuin Women's College. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  4. [4]
    Ponsonby-Fane, Richard (1915). The Imperial Family of Japan. p. 26.
  5. [5]
    Brinkley, Frank (1915). A History of the Japanese People. p. 664.
  6. [6]
    "Gakushuin". The Gakushuin School Corporation. School guide: The Gakushuin School Corporation. Retrieved 4 December 2023.

35°43′08″N 139°42′40″E
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