Abstract
Ryoiku facilities (where children with physical disabilities receive medical treatment, rehabilitation and education) became legally established in Japan in 1947 when the country enacted its Child Welfare Law. Although prior work has made clear that the legislation was greatly influenced by Kenji Takagi's Theory of Ryoiku, and that he had consulted the Prussian "Law, Concerning the Public Welfare for Physically Disabled People" (Gesetz, betreffend die offentliche Kruppelfursorge) and its enforcement order in formulating his theory, we have little knowledge of either the details or the overall picture of this law. There is need for a concrete comparison of "Law, Concerning the Public Welfare for Physical Disabled People" and its enforcement order with what Takagi adopted for his theory. This paper discusses the fundamental elements of Kenji Takagi's Ryoiku Theory, which were mainly based on this law and its enforcement, and notes that Takagi critically adopted the law, but centered mostly on medical treatment.
