Kanzo Uchimura's disrespect incident

Japanese: 内村鑑三不敬事件 - うちむらかんぞうふけいじけん

This was the first and most famous case of disrespect for the Imperial Rescript on Education that occurred after its promulgation. It was also an incident in the history of the suffering of Christianity in modern Japan, in which Christian faith was condemned as being anti-national and incompatible with the ideals of the modern imperial state. The Ministry of Education immediately prepared certified copies of the Imperial Rescript on Education, which was issued on October 30, 1890 (Meiji 23), and distributed them to public and private schools throughout the country. At that time, certified copies bearing the Meiji Emperor's "imperial signature" (handwritten signature and the Emperor's "imperial seal") were issued to schools directly under the Ministry of Education, and one was issued to First Higher School, where Uchimura Kanzo worked as a contract teacher, on December 25 of the same year.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

教育勅語発布後に発生した，同勅語に対する不敬事件として，最初にしてかつ最も有名な事件。キリスト教信仰が近代天皇制国家理念と相容れない反国家性を持つものと非難された，近代日本キリスト教受難史上の一事件でもある。　1890年(明治23)10月30日に発布された教育勅語について文部省は直ちにその謄本を作成して，全国の国公私立の学校に配布することとした。当時の文部省直轄学校へは明治天皇の〈宸署〉(直筆による署名と天皇〈御璽〉を押印)謄本が下付されることになり，内村鑑三が嘱託教員として勤務していた第一高等中学校へは同年12月25日にそれが下付された。

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

<<: Washington clam (Uchimurasakigai)

>>: Kanzo Uchimura