Furukawa Taishiro (Furukawa Taishiro) - Furukawa Watashirou

Japanese: 古河太四郎(古川太四郎) - ふるかわたしろう

1845‐1907 (2nd year of the Houka Era – 40th year of the Meiji Era)
The founder of modern education for the deaf and blind in Japan. In his later years, he also wrote his own name as "Furukawa." Born at Hakukeidō, Kyoto's largest temple school, he participated in the construction of an elementary school in Kyoto Prefecture after the Meiji Restoration and became a teacher. He then advocated for education for the deaf and blind while in prison, and in 1873 returned to Taiken School to try new things, achieving success. In 1878, he founded Kyoto Mou-in, Japan's first school for the deaf and blind, and as its first principal, developed it into a fully-fledged school for the deaf and blind. He resigned in 1889, and in 1900 was invited to become the principal of Osaka Mou-in, where he died in the position. His "Outline of Teaching Procedures for Deaf and Blind Children at Taiken School in Daikoku-cho, Kyoto Prefecture" (1878) was Japan's first book on the education of disabled children, and its oriental view of education and numerous original methods and teaching tools are still noteworthy today.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

1845‐1907(弘化2‐明治40)
日本近代盲聾教育の創始者。晩年には自ら〈古川〉とも書く。京都最大の寺子屋白景堂に生まれ，維新後京都府の小学校建営に参画して教師となる。その後獄中で盲聾教育を発起，1873年待賢校に復帰して試み，成果をあげる。78年日本最初の盲聾学校である京都盲啞院を創設し，初代院長として本格的盲聾学校に発展させた。89年辞職，1900年大阪盲啞院長に招かれ，現職で逝去。その《京都府下大黒町待賢校瘖啞生（いんあせい）教授手順概略》(1878)は日本最初の障害児教育書で，東洋的な教育観と数々の独創的な方法や教具は今日も注目に値する。

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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