The province of Totomi, the western part of Siduoka Prefecture across the Ooi, once belonged to Hamamatu Prefecture as a governmental district. We are going to describe a short history of the studies of English in this province in the days of Meidi and Taisho (1868-1912). All ambitious boys in the 19th ccntury in Japan were anxious to study English for their chance of promotion. M any private and public English schools were seen in this province among which the most documentary work done at Hamamatu was the translation from an American author, Hartshorn's ‘A compectus of the medical science, Phil.11874, 1020p.’. Though about 11 extract translations of that book were published in Japan but it was the first complete translation being printed at Hamamatu and circulated all over Japan. Dr. Coats, a Canadian missionary who stayed more than ten years at Hamamatu also taught English at three middle schools in this province.
With appendix of the name list of English teachers, curriculum vita of Canadianteachers, and one of the earliest English grammar text-books published in Japan whose author taught at Hamamatu middle school.
