Historical Study on the Practice of Map Education in the Latter Half of the Meiji Era

Abstract

This paper is the sequel of the same titled manuscript published in vol. 36 No. 2 (1988). As the national control of the textbook became strengthend for a time with the centralization of the government in the latter half of the Meiji era, the contents of the textbook turned nationalistic. In this period theory of education changed twice, first to “Herbertism education, and after that to “the new education”. For this reason, many teacher's manuals were published dung this period.
Like the auther's last article, he tries to compare the 3 areas of map education with the latter half of the Meiji era and tries to comment on the changes involved using these teacher's manuals and textbooks.
1. Education for map reading
In this area, the discussion is concentrating on the development of “Idea of maps” which is the basic ability for geographical education. And teaching methods of “nearby areas” which is the place of this development were frequently discussed. Books about these discussions advanced from the translated books in the first half of the Meiji era to the adaptation period. Further more it progressed to the publishing of books with originality in the 30's based on field work experience. On the other hand concerning the educational materials for maps, the publishing of a national geographic supplementary map in the year 41 of Meiji led to the further progress of contents of the teaching materials of maps.
2. Instructions for map drawing
In this area, because the effect of drawing was big, it swam with the current of the Herbert education principle and advanced greatly. That is to say we saw it spreading in elementary and junior highschool as outline maps and white maps were being used. But the issue concentrated itself to outline maps such as precise maps and sketched maps and never refered to a drawing of contents.
3. Instructions for making maps
This area of education has been promoted by Tokyo high elementary school in the first half of the Meiji era. And also in this period it continued to take place in the same school. But because of progress in studies of education and instructing, education for map making spreaded to other elementary schools attached to a high school. Also topography textbooks of mapmaking were published. This led to the popularization of it.