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Concept
Imperial Rescript on Education
Summary
The Imperial Rescript on Education, or IRE for short, was signed by Emperor Meiji of Japan on 30 October 1890 to articulate government policy on the guiding principles of education on the Empire of Japan. The 315 character document was read aloud at all important school events, and students were required to study and memorize the text.
Following the Meiji Restoration, the leadership of the Meiji government felt the need to emphasize the common goals of rapid modernization (westernization) with support and legitimization of the political system centered on the imperial institution. In the 1870s and 1880s, Motoda Nagazane and other conservatives pushed for a revival of the principles of Confucianism as a guide for education and public morality; however, Inoue Kowashi and other proponents of the 'modernization' of Japan felt that this would encourage a return to the old feudal order, and pushed for an "emperor-centered" philosophy. Prime Minister Yamagata Aritomo authorized the drafting of the Rescript, which was a compromise written largely by Inoue Kowashi with input from Motoda Nagazane and others.
After it was issued, the Rescript was distributed to all schools in the country, together with a portrait of Emperor Meiji.
The text in Classical Japanese reads:朕󠄁惟フニ我カ皇祖皇宗國ヲ肇󠄁ムルコト宏遠󠄁ニ德ヲ樹ツルコト深厚ナリ我カ臣民克ク忠ニ克ク孝ニ億兆心ヲ一ニシテ世世厥ノ美ヲ濟セルハ此レ我カ國體ノ精華ニシテ敎育ノ淵源亦實ニ此ニ存ス爾臣民父母ニ孝ニ兄弟ニ友ニ夫婦󠄁相和シ朋友相信シ恭儉己レヲ持シ博󠄁愛衆ニ及󠄁ホシ學ヲ修メ業ヲ習󠄁ヒ以テ智能ヲ啓󠄁發シ德器󠄁ヲ成就シ進󠄁テ公󠄁益󠄁ヲ廣メ世務ヲ開キ常ニ國憲ヲ重シ國法ニ遵󠄁ヒ一旦緩󠄁急󠄁アレハ義勇󠄁公󠄁ニ奉シ以テ天壤無窮󠄁ノ皇運󠄁ヲ扶翼󠄂スヘシ是ノ如キハ獨リ朕󠄁カ忠良ノ臣民タルノミナラス又󠄂以テ爾祖󠄁先ノ遺󠄁風ヲ顯彰スルニ足ラン
斯ノ道󠄁ハ實ニ我カ皇祖皇宗ノ遺󠄁訓ニシテ子孫臣民ノ俱ニ遵󠄁守スヘキ所󠄁之ヲ古今ニ通󠄁シテ謬ラス之ヲ中外ニ施シテ悖ラス朕󠄁爾臣民ト俱ニ拳󠄁々服󠄁膺シテ咸其德ヲ一ニセンコトヲ庶󠄂幾󠄁フ
明治二十三年十月三十日
御 名 御 璽
Translated into English:Know ye, Our subjects:
Our Imperial Ancestors have founded Our Empire on a basis broad and everlasting and have deeply and firmly implanted virtue; Our subjects ever united in loyalty and filial piety have from generation to generation illustrated the beauty thereof. This is the glory of the fundamental character of Our Empire, and herein lies the source of Our education.
Official source
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