25.

Japanese Terakoya and Value Creation Systems of

Japan

Summary: The Japanese terakoya system developed practical skills in

students and connected the skills to daily life and society. Terakoya were
temple schools taught reading and writing to children and in some places
taught the use of abacus for calculation. During the Tempo era (1830-44)
thousands of schools were created where students began learning these skills.
The terakoya system used in Japan from the seventeenth to the nineteenth
century was a superior form of education that taught six kinds of skills or
rikugei to create wise citizens. The six skills were moral education (rei), music
(raku), archery (sha), operating a horse cart (gyo), literature (sho) and math
(shu). The terakoya system evolved from Buddhist temple learning and had a
moral component to it. The Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi felt
that human beings change the natural order of things to make it more useful.
A value-creating philosophy assumes that the teaching of subjects must be
related to familiar situations and things in a child’s world. His three slogans
were: start from experience, set value as the goal and make economy the
principle. A global classroom has become more intense and urgent due to the
corona virus pandemic as we understand the interconnectedness of our planet.
Education must follow this path.

1. The Japanese terakoya system developed practical skills in students and

connected the skills to daily life and society. Terakoya were temple schools
taught reading and writing to children and in some places taught the use of abacus
for calculation. During the Tempo era (1830-44) thousands of schools were
created where students began learning these skills. The terakoya system used in
Japan from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century was a superior form of
education that taught six kinds of skills or rikugei to create wise citizens. The six
skills were moral education (rei), music (raku), archery (sha), operating a horse
cart (gyo), literature (sho) and math (shu). The terakoya system evolved from
Buddhist temple learning and had a moral component to it. The system became
popular with the rise of the merchant class in the middle of the Edo when their
children needed quality education. The terakoya schools spread in Edo, Osaka and
rural Japan. By the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century its
enrollment reached about 70 percent of the the entire population. The system was
abolished by the Meiji government in 1872 whit the establishment of the Gakusei
or the new education order which made the attendance of public-schools
mandatory for everyone.
2. The Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi felt that human beings
change the natural order of things to make it more useful. He taught how to
effectively manage environment, resolve problems of daily life, and manage
resources of land, body and mind to get maximum benefit. His three slogans were:
1. Start from experience
2. Set value as the goal and
3. Make economy the principle

The daily life of ordinary people is always full of problems. Economic stalemate
and impractical education are responsible for deadlocks in their lives. They, and
their children, need a philosophy that can help them to derive benefit from their
environment and make them self-reliant. An educational philosophy need must
also be a philosophy of life. Makiguchi believed that human progress means
increasing the usefulness of natural resources, thereby making this planet a more
livable place. Value creation help both child and adult to get benefit, judgement
and happiness. Makiguchi’s philosophy of value is the quintessence of 28 years of
experience as a teacher in Hokkaido and Tokyo. He closely observed the problems
faced by students while entering school and later while looking for jobs. The idea
that a teacher teaches whatever he wants to teach, and a child learns whatever he
wants to learn had little merit. Rousseau’s return to nature, a kind of laissez faire
in teaching methodology, was not conducive to good education. Makiguchi said
that they were trying to put eye-drops in the eyes of a patient from the second
floor. Creating value is the purpose of life.” Makiguchi, like James Johonnot,
stressed the need to conserve intellectual energy in both teachers and students by
finding economical ways of teaching.

3. A value-creating philosophy assumes that the teaching of subjects must be

related to familiar situations and things in a child’s world. For instance, the
study of economics should be related to home accounting and budgeting. It can
also help a child to directly observe his home environment. This method can result
in immediate comprehension without wastage and also make learning pleasurable.
The child can apply the acquired knowledge to daily life and increase its
usefulness. He can also use the time thus saved in community work. The
philosophy of value begins with the scientific, inductive method and incorporates
the earlier method of “study of the origin of places” employed in Jinsei Chirigaku.
If a teacher were aware of the philosophy of value, he would carefully consider the
method and objective of his teaching. “The experience of a teacher is important.
The experience of a teacher evaluates the given material, determines how much a
student can grow and what method to employ. This he does by using data to access
the result of a methodology and material employed.” A teacher is sensitive to the
needs of his students and guides them to create value in life and society.

4. A global classroom has become more intense and urgent due to the corona
virus pandemic as we understand the interconnectedness of our planet.
Education must follow this path. The pandemic is a painful reminder of our
misperception about capitalism, globalization, environment and human life. Rich
countries are trying to save their economies by opening regular institutions and
saving jobs. Countries are restructuring global supply chains and turning inwards.
Soka University has adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) especially
“3 Good Health and Well Being” and “4 Quality Education” for all. The world has
changed. We are now finding ways to handle the change. What are the strategies
for a new operating system of societies in the world? How to create office space at
home, handle plants and natural growth, create jobs and supply chain, organize
digital and physical workplace, redesign megapolis, organize new international
travel, manage isolation, build new medical system, new global politics, design
housing, food and entertainment? Lifestyle in Japan is changing from eating out,
working from home to night life and socializing. In the end I will give you my five
tools to a great life called

ECDEO:

1. Evaluate—At night in bed go over the day

2. Choose —Every morning choose to be joyful or miserable. Thank or forget
your body. Meet the sun or stay indoors. Drink hot or cold water
3. Develop —3 things to become better
4. Economize— Use half the words you normally use
5. Overcome —one limitation every three months