Jinzo Naruse

Japanese: 成瀬仁蔵 - なるせ・じんぞう

Year of death: March 4, 1919
Year of birth: June 23, 5th year of Ansei (August 2, 1858)
Educator and social reformer of the Meiji and Taisho periods. Born in Yoshiki, Suo (Yamaguchi Prefecture), as the eldest son of Naruse Kozaemon and Utako, samurai of the Yoshiki Mori clan. Studied at the Yoshiki Kenshokan clan school. Lost his mother at the age of eight, and his father and brother at the age of 17. Graduated from the Yamaguchi Prefectural Teachers Training Institute and served as an elementary school principal. Converted to Christianity through his fellow townsman Sawayama Boura, was baptized at Osaka Naniwa Church in 1877, and became the head teacher at Baika Girls' School (Baika Women's University), marking his first step towards educating women. Later, he served as the first pastor of Koriyama Church in Nara and Niigata Church in Niigata, during which time he founded Niigata Girls' School and was also involved in the founding of Hokuetsu Gakuin. Hoping to make a breakthrough, he went to the United States in 1890. He studied sociology and education at Andover Theological Seminary and Clark University, and returned to Japan in 1892 after visiting universities and social facilities. For a time, he was the principal of Baika Girls' School, but published "Girls' Education" and worked hard to promote the need for higher education for women. In 1901, he founded Japan Women's University, where he placed emphasis on character education, promoted education that respected spontaneity, and advocated lifelong learning. To put this into practice, he organized an alumni association (Ouka-kai) and engaged in social activities through publishing and correspondence courses. Meanwhile, in 1902, he founded the Return to Japan Association with Shibusawa Eiichi and Anesaki Masaharu. Aiming to promote harmony between ideology and religion both at home and abroad, he toured Europe and the United States over the following year. After returning to Japan, he was also active in society, serving as a member of the Education Research Committee and the Temporary Education Conference. He suffered from liver cancer, and before his death he gave a farewell lecture in which he wrote down his educational philosophy as the three principles of thorough conviction, spontaneous creation, and shared service. <Works> "Collected Works of Naruse Jinzo," 3 volumes <References> "The Biography of Naruse Sensei," edited by Nishina Setsu

(Kuni Nakashima)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：大正8.3.4(1919)
生年：安政5.6.23(1858.8.2)
明治大正期の教育家,社会改良家。周防(山口県)吉敷に,吉敷毛利藩士成瀬小左衛門,歌子の長男として生まれる。藩校吉敷憲章館に学ぶ。8歳で母を,17歳で父と弟を失う。山口県教員養成所を卒業し,小学校長などを務める。同郷の沢山保羅によりキリスト教に入信し,明治10(1877)年大阪浪花教会で受洗,梅花女学校(梅花女子大)の主任教師となり女子教育への第一歩を印した。のち奈良の郡山教会,新潟の新潟教会の初代牧師を務め,その間に新潟女学校を設立,北越学館創立にも関係した。飛躍を志して23年渡米。アンドバー神学校,クラーク大学で社会学,教育学などを研究し,大学や社会施設を視察して27年帰国。一時,梅花女学校長となるが,『女子教育』を出版し女子高等教育の必要性を訴えて奔走。34年,日本女子大学校を創立,人格教育を重視し自発性を尊重する教育を進め生涯学習を主張した。その実践として同窓会(桜楓会)を組織し出版や通信教育などを通じて社会活動を行う。一方,45年には渋沢栄一,姉崎正治らと帰一協会を設立。国内外の思想,宗教の調和を企て,翌年にかけて欧米を巡った。帰国後教育調査会,臨時教育会議の委員ともなり,社会的にも活躍した。肝臓癌にかかり,死を前に告別講演を行って,その教育理念を信念徹底・自発創生・共同奉仕の三綱領として書き遺した。<著作>『成瀬仁蔵著作集』全3巻<参考文献>仁科節編『成瀬先生伝』

(中嶌邦)

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