The purpose of this paper is to develop a “jugyosho” (a sub-reader comprising key questions and their annotated answers) covering the essential elements of the subject of nation state building in the Meiji Era. The book is designed to help pupils understand the Meiji government’s actions, and how those deeds transformed Japan into a modern state with the added consequence of changing the minds and attitudes of people by adding the cultural element in their lives in the form of art, especially music and fine arts.

　　In chapter II, the conventional curricula with regard to nation state building in the Meiji Era are criticized for lacking the vital element of instructing students about the way in which the government struggled to build the nation state’s appreciation of music and the fine arts. To effect this change, the Meiji Era government allowed bureaucrats to research the music and arts of Western countries and instituted policies, such as the building of an art museum. The latter half of chapter II discusses some of the problems with regard to current descriptions of the cultural history of the Meiji Era in social studies textbooks for junior high schools with the intent of developing a student’s ability to comprehensively grasp the efforts made by Meiji Era government with regard to nation state building. The results of the latest research initiative, undertaken by the authors of this paper, revealed that even university students could not relate the revival of Japanese traditional culture, such as Japanese style painting, with the governmental policies that had exerted great efforts to make Japan a modern nation state. When students read the description of the cultural history of the Meiji Era in current social studies textbooks for junior high schools, they are not made aware of the fact that this government spared no toil in formulating the policy for the fine arts that were equal to those of the contemporary Great Powers. We thus felt compelled to create a “jugyosho” which would make pupils notice that Tenshin Okakura and Fenollosa, E. succeed in restoring Japanese traditional art-forms, thanks to both their own abilities and their social status as bureaucrats. In chapter III, the“jugyosho”or the compilation of vital questions and their detailed answers teach the Meiji government’s policy for nation state building. The content of this section includes the Meiji government’s significant policies with regard to art, such as the founding of museums and schools for fine arts. The final chapter describes some of the problems the authors could not address in this paper.

　　This study aimed to investigate the perspectives and thoughts of junior high school social studies teachers with regard to their field of study. After reviewing and analyzing previous investigations in the domain of social studies education, I concluded that newer and more in-depth research initiatives pertaining to the ideas and opinions of the subject’s teachers were required. The results of previous research projects on the development of the abilities of social studies teachers helped to clarify that there was a common point in those investigations. They were all affected by the earlier research conducted on modern social studies education in the U.S. It is of special importance that this study reveals the attitudes and outlook of junior high school social studies teachers’ with regard to the subject they teach in light of the outcomes obtained by previous studies.

　　The method employed by this investigation was interviewing and analyzing the responses of five teachers. Some of the interview questions were prepared in advance; others were generated by observing each of the teachers as they taught their social studies’ lessons. The data analysis demonstrated that two types of themes are included in the narratives and employed by social studies educators: (1) the civil abilities that should be cultivated in social studies classes, and (2) the human abilities that should be cultivated in school life. Thus, this study proves that social studies teachers have multi-layered beliefs. To conclude, I created a table to enable a better understanding of the teachers’ multi-faceted thought process.

　　The objective of this examination is to demonstrate the conflict of educational thought between synthetic and separate social studies. To clarify the opposition, this study selected “Taro” and the “Social feeling of some teachers” as materials to analyze the context, the models and the intent of each approach. In this study, “feeling” is determined to be the key term. As a field of learning, “Social Studies” attempted to change the old academic model or sciences. First, the characteristics of “Taro” are identified through a discussion of Kaoru Ueda’s feelings as opposed to Shuichi Katsuta’s feeling with regard to textbooks. “Taro,” written by Kaoru Ueda, after Japan’s defeat in World War II, is one of the first social studies primers. In this paragraph, deliberate that “Taro” effect to teacher’s feeling of textbook. Second, identifies the characteristic of “Social feeling of some teacher” through a discussion on the Ueda’s feeling of science and Katsuta’s feeling of science. “Social feeling of some teacher” is written for junior high school teacher. In this paragraph, deliberate that “Social feeling of some teacher” effect to teacher’s feeling of science.

　　The results of my analysis reveal that Ueda took the “literary approach” while Katsuta adopted the “scientific method.” Ueda studied under Hideo Kobayashi and Katsuta studied under Kiyoshi Miki. The essential differences in their scholarly paradigms caused the conflict of educational thought between synthetic social studies and separate social studies.