Step back into the heart of Japan’s Meiji era (1868–1912) with this rare 1892 edition of Kōtō Shōgaku Shūshinsho (高等小学修身書) — a beautifully preserved moral education textbook written by Count Shima Tanemori (島種臣伯爵) and published by Kokkōsha (國光社) in Tokyo.
This educational volume was part of Japan’s early national curriculum, designed to instill Confucian and imperial virtues such as loyalty, honesty, and filial piety in young students during a time when the nation was rapidly modernizing and embracing Western systems while preserving traditional ethics.
Each page is printed in vertical woodblock typography and features detailed Meiji-period illustrations, depicting scenes of filial duty, respect, and historical figures in Japanese attire. These images serve as both moral guidance and visual art, making this book not only a literary treasure but also a work of cultural history.
The book is bound in its original indigo-blue washi paper cover with stitched binding (fukurotoji style), maintaining its authentic 19th-century character.
Surviving educational materials from the early Meiji era are extremely scarce, particularly in complete and well-preserved condition. This book not only offers insights into Japan’s modernization period but also reflects the ethical framework that shaped generations during the Imperial Restoration.
Due to its age, subject matter, and limited surviving copies, this piece represents a rare collectible for historians, collectors of Japanese educational history, and admirers of Meiji-era print culture.
