Free University - Jiyu Daigaku

Japanese: 自由大学 - じゆうだいがく

These are autonomous educational institutions established by the people, mainly in Nagano Prefecture, from the early 1920s to the early 1930s. The first was Shinano Free University (later Ueda Free University), which was established in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture in 1921. Shinano Free University was established by young people who were dissatisfied with the government-run Youth Association and were involved in the Universal Suffrage Movement and the Free Art Movement, and who had a strong desire to learn, with the cooperation of philosopher Tsuchida Kyoson. Its objective was to gain academic freedom in opposition to the centralization of academia and government control of education, and to establish an autonomous university where working people could continue their lifelong learning.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

1920年代はじめから30年代はじめにかけて，長野県を中心として民衆の手によりつくられた自主的な教育機関。1921年長野県上田市で発足した信濃自由大学(のち上田自由大学)が最初である。信濃自由大学は，官製の青年団にあきたらず，普選運動や自由画運動にかかわり学習要求に燃えていた青年たちが，哲学者土田杏村の協力を得て設立したものである。その目的は，学問の中央集権と政府の教育統制に反対して，学問の自由を獲得し，労働に従事している人々が生涯学べる自治的な大学を設立することであった。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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