Mori Arinori

As the first Minister of Education, he was a representative educational administrator who established the foundation of Japan's modern school system. Born into a low-ranking samurai family in the Satsuma domain, he studied at the domain school Zoshikan and Kaiseisho (a Western-style school). After experiencing the Anglo-Satsuma War in 1863 (Bunkyu 3), he studied in London at the domain's command in 1865 (Keio 1), and then traveled to America, where he was influenced by the mystic Thomas Lake Harris (1823-1906). Upon returning to Japan in 1868 (Meiji 1), he was immediately welcomed by the Meiji government as a judge of foreign government offices, and was subsequently appointed to the position of both the head of the Diet and the head of schools, but resigned after failing to recommend the abolition of swords. In 1870, he was ordered to serve in America as a junior envoy, where he was involved in soliciting foreign loans and cultural diplomacy. During his term, he attempted to publish "Freedom of Religion" and "Japanese Education" in English, but in 1873 he returned to Japan and served as Grand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister to China, and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs. During this time, he established the Meirokusha Society, led public opinion by discussing gender equality, and launched the Commercial Law Training School (later Hitotsubashi University), pioneering commercial education and engaging in other wide-ranging educational activities. In 1879, he was ordered to station in England as Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and promoted the negotiation of treaty revision. In the summer of 1882, he met Ito Hirobumi in Paris, where they discussed education issues and hit it off. Upon returning to Japan in 1884, he was appointed as a member of the House of Councillors and a special adviser to the Ministry of Education. The following year, in 1885, with the establishment of the cabinet system, he became Minister of Education in the first Ito Cabinet. In 1886, he promulgated a series of school ordinances, including the Imperial University Act, to improve the school system, placing particular emphasis on teacher education for the development of human resources, and introduced military-style gymnastics. During his three years in office, he toured all over the country, from Tohoku to Okinawa, to explain the principles of the school ordinances, but his progressive ideas and decisive nature led to misunderstandings, and on February 11, 1889 (Meiji 22), the day the Imperial Constitution was promulgated, he was attacked by an assassin named Nishino Buntaro (1869-1889), and died the next day, at the age of 43.

[Uemura Hachiro]

"The Complete Works of Mori Arinori, edited by Okubo Toshiaki, 3 volumes (1972, Senbundo)" ▽ "The State and Education: A Comparative Study of Mori Arinori and Niijima Jo, by Inoue Katsuya (2000, Koyoshobo)" ▽ "A Tentative Comparative Study of Mori Arinori and Horace Mann, by Akieda Shoshi (2004, Azusa Shoin)" ▽ "The Creation of a National Subject in Mori Arinori, by Hasegawa Seiichi (2007, Shibunkaku)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

初代文部大臣として日本の近代学校制度の基調を固めた代表的文教行政官。薩摩(さつま)藩の下士に生まれ、藩校造士館および開成所（洋学校）に学んだ。1863年（文久3）の薩英戦争を体験したのち、1865年（慶応1）には藩の内命でロンドンに留学、ついでアメリカに渡って神秘主義宗教家T・L・ハリスThomas Lake Harris（1823―1906）の感化を受けた。1868年（明治1）に帰国すると、ただちに明治政府に迎えられて徴士外国官権判事となり、ついで議事体裁取調、学校取調兼勤などに任命されたが、廃刀を建議していれられず辞任。1870年少弁務使としてアメリカ在勤を命ぜられて渡米し、外債募集や文化外交の衝にあたった。在任中、英文による『信仰自由論』や『日本の教育』の刊行を試みたが、1873年帰国して外務大丞(だいじょう)、清国(しんこく)公使、外務卿(きょう)代理などを歴任した。この間、明六社(めいろくしゃ)を設け、男女同権を論じて世論を導く一方、商法講習所（のちの一橋大学）を興して商業教育の端緒を開くなど幅広い啓蒙(けいもう)活動を展開した。ついで1879年特命全権公使としてイギリス駐在を命ぜられ、条約改正の交渉を進めたが、1882年の夏伊藤博文(いとうひろぶみ)とパリに会し、教育問題を論じて意気投合し、1884年帰国すると参事院議官、文部省御用掛兼務に任命された。翌1885年内閣制度の成立とともに第一次伊藤内閣の文相となった。1886年には帝国大学令など一連の学校令を公布して学校体系の整備を図り、とくに人材育成のため師範教育を重視し、これに兵式体操を導入した。在任約3か年、東北から沖縄まで全国各地を巡視して学校令の主旨を説いたが、その進歩的思想と果断な性格が誤解を招き、1889年（明治22）2月11日、帝国憲法発布の当日、刺客西野文太郎(にしのぶんたろう)（1869―1889）に襲われ、翌日43年の短い生涯を閉じた。

［上沼八郎］

『大久保利謙編『森有礼全集』全3巻（1972・宣文堂）』▽『井上勝也著『国家と教育　森有礼と新島襄の比較研究』（2000・晃洋書房）』▽『秋枝蕭子著『森有礼とホーレス・マンの比較研究試論』（2004・梓書院）』▽『長谷川精一著『森有礼における国民的主体の創出』（2007・思文閣）』

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