明治の婦人雑誌と英学

抄録

The history of Japanese-languge magazines deliberately edited with an eye to the interests of a predominantly feminine readers is generally held to have begun in June of 1884, for that was the date of the initial number of a periodical known as Jogaku shinshi, which is regarded as the earliest women's magazine to have been published in modern Japan. This pioneer effort was soon followed by a steadily increasing stream of other journals and periodicals designed to be read more or less exclusively by women. After the enactment of a law providing for universal compulsory education at the elementary level, the female reading population futher increased; women became more aware of the possibilities for self-improvement, entertainment, and education made available by magazines and periodicals, By the last decades of the Meiji era, the stream of periodical publications aimed at women had swollen to a flood - a flood which continues unabated up to the present day.
The earlier years of periodical publication for women were characterised by strong overtones of didacticism. The ideal of education was paramount, and considerable emphasis was laid upon the English language, or, alternatively, upon translations and adaptations from the English, as a means of achieving progress on both the national and domestic levels.
Even a casual inspection of some women's magazines from Meiji Japan is sufficient to make clear their surprisingly high degree of interest in English studies. Certain of the Meiji periodicals also encouraged their readers to make positive efforts towards the learning of English, not only for themselves, but for their school-age daughters as well. Some of these even included special columns or sections devoted to the practical study of English. A remarkable case in point is provided by the ninth issue of Jogahu soshi (February 1886), in a leading article which describes the difficulties facing prospective adult female students of English, discusses means of overcoming these obstacles, and encourages readers to persevere in their efforts. A propriately enough, in addition to its Japanese title, Jogahu seishi also gives its title in English as “The Ladies' Journal of Education”.