An authentic Meiji-era Japanese moral education textbook, titled 「尋常小學修身書 巻三」(Jinjō Shōgaku Shūshinsho, Volume 3), published in Meiji 25 (1892) by Kokukōsha (國光社) under the supervision of Count Higashikuyō Sesai (東久世通禧).
This volume was part of Japan’s early modern national curriculum, teaching moral values (修身, shūshin), ethics, and civic duty to elementary school children under the Ministry of Education’s new guidelines.
The woodblock-printed pages feature vertical Japanese text accompanied by illustrations of loyalty, friendship, and filial duty, reflecting the Meiji government’s moral ideology — combining Confucian virtues with modern nationalism.
Topics include:
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忠君 (Loyalty to the Emperor)
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孝行 (Filial piety)
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友情 (Friendship and trust)
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勤労 (Diligence and thrift)
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租税 (Paying taxes as a civic duty)
Each short story or parable reinforces ethical conduct, often illustrated with detailed woodcut scenes of Meiji commoners, samurai, and schoolchildren in moral situations.
Historical Context
This textbook was issued soon after Japan’s Imperial Rescript on Education (教育勅語, 1890), which formalized a moral code based on loyalty, harmony, and respect for authority. Shūshin textbooks like this one were widely used from the 1890s through the early 20th century in Japanese elementary schools.
Rarity & Collectible Value
Original Meiji-period shūshinsho are increasingly rare — especially complete volumes with publisher’s pink title page and government approval seals. This copy, issued only two years after the Imperial Rescript on Education, represents a cornerstone of Japan’s modernization and moral education system.
Highly collectible for:
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Historians of Meiji education & ethics
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Scholars of Japanese pedagogy or Confucian thought
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Collectors of antique Japanese textbooks and woodblock prints
