Private Academies of Chinese Learning in Meiji Japan: The Decline ...

PRIVATE ACADEMIES OF CHINESE LEARNING IN MEIJI JAPAN 69For each shitsumon, rindoku, kaidoku, chōkō [question andanswer, group reading and lecture sessions], the time is setfor the afternoon from two to four or five hours, dependingon how difficult or easy the readings are; the exact durationis not fixed. As for the remaining time, there is directed selfstudyof the Confucian classics, histories and ancient textsaccording to students’ ability, level of learning and age.Composition of poetry and prose is always supervised. Thetopic is left to people’s preference. However, sodoku [simplereading] is not thus limited.In the report of 1872 some titles of the curriculum are given: BookofOdes, Book of Changes, Spring and Autumn Annals, Santaishi,Sanden (commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals), TheClassic of Filial Piety,The Analects. In addition, Sokken states thathistories, works of the sages, specialized works and Westernworks on astronomy and geography could be read depending onthe students. The regulations cited in the application of 1873 arebrief:It goes without saying that the assigned subjects are to bestudied hard; attention must be paid to words and actions,so as not to offend others. It is forbidden to go into drinkinghouses and tea houses and other indecent places.Although Sankei juku appears to have catered for advancedstudents, it was officially registered as a private elementaryschool in 1874. From 1875 to 1879 it was registered as a privatemiddle school. After Sokken’s death it was taken over by hisdisciple, Yamai Kanroku, who is registered as its owner in 1878.Later, Sokken’s grandson, Yasui Shōtarō or Bokudō (1858–1938),took over. 15 He was born in Sokken’s home to the master’s eldestdaughter, Sumako. Bukoudō’s father was politically active anddied in jail in 1861. Between 1865 and 1871 his family lived inObi, but then returned to Tokyo. From 1876 Bokudō attended thejuku of Shimada Kōson (1838–98), whose eldest daughter hemarried in 1885, and from 1878 the juku of Kusaba Sensan inKyoto, the heir of the Confucian scholar Kusaba Haisan (1787–1867). In 1882 he entered the Department of Classics (Kotenkōshūka) at the Imperial University of Tokyo. He taught atGakushūin, at the First High School and Tokyo Higher Normal