Abstract
This paper aims to clarify the purpose and the historic steps that the Ministry of Education took to establish handicraft (Shukou) as a school subject in 1886 (Meiji year 19). At that time, it was difficult to decide on the aims and content of the subject of "shukou," because of leaders' differences in thinking on educational matters, budget difficulties, and the expansion of the war. However, in the later years of the Meiji era, "shukou" was settled to combine the purpose of both general education and vocational education. In this study we investigated this process by examining remaining articles and previous research. We clarified that the educational thinking of Hidekichi Okayama was important in leading to the process of blending these purposes. We concluded that the original purpose and content of the subject "Shukou" is now dispersed within the subjects of art and craft at elementary school, art and industrial art at junior high school, and art at high school.
