2000 Volume 8 Pages 24-49,126
In this paper my principal aim is to present a historical analysis of the role of Tokyo Higher Normal School in Japanese society. The alumni association “Meikeikai”—formed by graduates of Tokyo Higher Normal School, Tokyo University of Literature and Science and Tokyo University of Education—not only presented many talented persons to the Japanese educational world from prewar to postwar times but also played an important role in the popularization and development of sports in Japanese society. Yet, in another aspect, during the Tennousei-fascism age, it had a close relationship with national sports policy inspired by national ideology. In that case, it must be emphasized that the object of establishing the Tokyo Higher Normal School was to train the principals and teachers of Normal Schools, and in fact almost all graduates worked at the hub of those normal schools, the middle schools and educational administration. In this way, they played the role of so-called “non-commissioned officers” by spreading and inspiring national ideology.
Certainly, graduates of Tokyo Higher Normal School did contribute to the development of Japanese sports, and yet they actually played a historical and social role to support and promote the national policies through sports (“driving national prestige”, “building up physical strength”, “giving proper guidance to public thought”-sisozendo and so on). The serious problem is that during the postwar democratization of sports, they did not even shoulder the “responsibility for war” or point it at themselves. On the contrary, they went with the new current of the times. The focus point is on this nature of theirs. Such a nature is predominant even in today's sports world, but we should note that not necessarily all possess this. The turning point depends on their social class. Namely, according to Masao MARUYAMA's theory, they belong to a “first group” of the middle class. So they usually waiver the choice to take the position of the people or dominant power, with their choice being dependent on their mode of forming the personal subject. Moreover, they are faced with not only internal “competition” but also “struggle” with many members out of “Meikeikai”, so they are constantly confronted with the choice made.
