UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Politics, Work, Identity: Educational Theories and Practices in Meiji Era Fukuoka, 1879-1918 Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2km343mv Author Lakser, Moshe Nathaniel Publication Date 2015 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Politics, Work, Identity: Educational Theories and Practices in Meiji Era Fukuoka, 1879-1918 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History by Moshe Nathaniel Lakser 2015 © Copyright by Moshe Nathaniel Lakser 2015 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Politics, Work, Identity: Educational Theories and Practices in Meiji Era Fukuoka, 1879-1918 by Moshe Nathaniel Lakser Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Los Angeles, 2015 Professor Herman Ooms, Chair This dissertation is an examination of non-formal education during the Meiji (1868-1912) and early Taisho (1912-1926) periods in Japan, through the regional lens of Fukuoka prefecture in northern Kyushu. While most historical discussions of education in Japan have limited their analyses to the central education system and its expansion, I extend the field of educational inquiry to include sites and organizations that have been overlooked. In particular, I explore the explicit and implicit educational activities carried out by members of the Movement for Freedom and Popular Rights and by coal industrialists in the region. By comparing and contrasting these disparate areas of educational activity, I emphasize underlying themes that were implicated in both: region, identity, paternalism, and the possibility of liberation. ii Utilizing an analytic framework that emphasizes the intellectual and institutional aspects of pedagogy, my dissertation explores the educational ideas or theories of both sets of actors – who, what, and how they wanted to teach – as well as the ways in which they attempted to implement those ideas. Neither popular rights activists nor coal industrialists showed much concern for educational content, instead emphasizing its perceived moral and social effects. Therefore, they attributed educational value to a variety of sites and settings, from public gatherings and the popular press to mutual-aid associations and home life itself, all of which had perceived socializing properties. Finally, I explore the role that educational theory and practice plays in the constitution of identity itself by analyzing an overlooked consequence of both sets of activities: the creation of the “people” and “coal miners” as enduring concepts in Japanese social and political discourse, both referring to constituencies that require the educational intervention of enlightened superiors. iii The dissertation of Moshe Nathaniel Lakser is approved. Jeffrey Prager William Marotti Herman Ooms, Committee Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2015 iv In Memory of Noam “Noni” Lakser v TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ix Vita xiii 1. Introduction: A New Approach to the History of Education 1 Education and Schooling in the Study of History 7 Education in the Popular Rights Movement and Coal Mining 15 Identity and Locality in Educational History 22 Overview of the Dissertation 28 2. Chapter One: The Educational Discourse of Popular Rights in Fukuoka 31 Emerging Tensions in Popular Rights Discourse: The Case of Fukuoka 38 Cultivating Independence: Jitsuryoku no Y ōsei and the True Popular Rights Activist 47 Arousing Independence: Affectivity and the Creation of a New Political Identity 58 Conflict and Cohesion in Popular Rights Discourse 67 Pedagogy and the People 80 Conclusion 84 3. Chapter Two: The Institutional Implementation of Popular Rights Education 88 A Unified Model of Educational Practice: The K ōyō-jukusha 90 The Differentiated Model of Educational Practice: The New Political Associations 109 Newspapers and Public Speeches as Educational Media 120 Education and Economic Productivity in the 1880s: Changes and Consequences 141 Conclusion 148 4. Chapter Three: The Education of Miners in the Coal Fields of Fukuoka 152 The Expansion of Coal Mining in the Meiji Period 159 Schooling and the Transformation of Mining Society 167 vi Welfare Facilities and Mining Society 182 Paternalism and Pedagogy: The Construction of Industrialist Identity 199 Pedagogy and Pathology: Constructing Coal Miner Identity 214 Conclusion 226 5. Chapter Four: Implicit Education in the Coal Mines: Management Reform and Miner Resistance 232 The Barrack System in the Historiography of Japanese Coal Mining 237 Re-Articulating the Workplace: Company Hierarchy and Changes in Pit Management 245 Re-Articulating Off-Site Management: The Dissolution of Naya Gashira Power 261 The Implicit Pedagogy of Coal Mining Society 268 Miner Identity: Counter Narratives 275 Conclusion 296 6. Conclusion: The Diversity of Educational Activity in Fukuoka: Continuities 300 7. Bibliography 310 vii TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1: Map of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ancient Provinces 27 Figure 2: Administrative Structure at Kaijima Mining Company (1891) 249 Figure 3: Administrative Structure at Kaijima Mining Company (1904) 249 Figure 4: Administrative Structure at Mitsui Tagawa Mine (1916) 251 Figure 5: Painting by Yamamoto Sakubei, "Relief Efforts at the Mine" ( Yama no kyusai- 281 hō) Figure 6: Painting by Yamamoto Sakubei, "Coal Face: Entrance" ( Kiriha: irekuchi, 287 Meiji, Taisho, koyama ) Figure 7: Painting by Yamamoto Sakubei, "Carrying Out the Dead" ( Shisha no 292 hanshutsu ) Figure 8: Painting by Yamamoto Sakubei, "Tanuki in the Mine" ( Kōnai no tanuki ) 292 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Fifteen years ago, when I first set my heart upon becoming a Japanese historian, I could not imagine the arduous path I had set myself upon. However, it has also been a rewarding experience, both personally and intellectually, and it is thanks to the people I have interacted with during my years of study and research that this project came to fruition. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Herman Ooms, for his support throughout my years at UCLA. It took me a long time to find a project to my liking, but he remained supportive throughout and pushed me to explore my interests to their fullest. His intellectual curiosity and dynamism have provided models for me during the years of research and writing. William Marotti, Andrea Goldman, and Jeffrey Prager provided me with invaluable guidance and insights during both my coursework, and my efforts to conceptualize and revise my project. Without their assistance, I surely would not have made it to this point. I would also like to thank the UCLA History Department and the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, both of whom provided me with substantial financial support during my time at UCLA. As an international student, tuition and expenses would have made graduate work impossible without their funding. In addition to student fees, both provided me with the means to undertake one year of study at the Inter-University Center in Yokohama, and the Terasaki Center provided me with the a one-year Aratani fellowship to do my archival research in Japan during the 2012-2013 school year. Finally, the History Department awarded me a pre-dissertation fellowship in 2013-2014 that allowed me to complete this project. I am grateful for their support. Research for this dissertation was conducted in Japan during the 2012-2013 school year, during which I received support and guidance from several institutions in Tokyo and Fukuoka. In Tokyo, I would like to thank the staff at the Constitutional Reading Room in the National Diet ix Library, who provided me access to their archives. I would also like to thank the staff at Mitsui Bunko (the Mitsui company archives), especially research fellow Koba Toshihiko, who gave me access to company records and guided me through the mountainous piles of documentation. Finally, the Engineering Department at Tokyo University gave me access to site reports (graduate theses) from former mining students. In Fukuoka, where the bulk of my research took place, there is no greater person to thank than Ishitaki Toyomi. After receiving my somewhat nervous email of introduction five years ago, Mr. Ishitaki welcomed me to the Fukuoka historical community with open arms. He introduced me to countless local scholars and archives, directed my attention to useful sources, and made time in his busy schedule to meet with me on several occasions during my research. I am truly grateful for his kindness. I would also like to thank Professor Arima Manabu of the Fukuoka City Museum, who met with me several times and provided an introduction for me to the archives and scholars of the Chikuh ō region. Without either of these wonderful scholars, my own project would not have been possible. At Kyushu University, I was welcomed and assisted by Professor Shin’ya Yasuaki, a leading scholar in the educational history of Fukuoka. Prof. Shin’ya helped me settle down at Kyushu University and introduced me to the various archivists working there. Professor Orita Etsuro gave me access to the university historical archives, including coal mining site reports, and newspapers. Miwa Munehiro, head of the Industrial and Economic Archives at Kyushu University, offered me frequent guidance as I attempted to navigate the archives. His advice and friendly demeanor helped me in countless ways. Finally, Professor Tojo Nobumasa took time out of his retirement