An exceptional survivor from Japan’s Meiji period (1868–1912), this original educational textbook titled Jinjō Shōgaku Dokusho Kyōhon (尋常小学読書教本 – Common Elementary Reading Textbook) Volume 7 reflects the early years of Japan’s modern national education system.
Edited by Imaizumi Teisuke and Sunaga Waichirō, and published by Fukyūsha, this rare edition was approved by the Ministry of Education (文部省) and printed in Meiji 27 (1894). The book taught geography, nature, and ethics to schoolchildren through illustrated stories and moral lessons — capturing Japan’s rapid modernization at the turn of the century.
Inside, readers will find beautiful woodblock-printed illustrations and an exquisite colored fold-out map of Japan depicting the empire’s provinces during the late Meiji era, including Hokkaido, Okinawa, and Korea (朝鮮) references — a historical reflection of Japan’s expanding worldview.
The original blue cloth-covered fukuro-toji (Japanese stab binding) remains intact, showing natural wear consistent with age. The pages are made of fine washi paper, with woodblock and early movable type printing techniques still clearly visible.
A rare, museum-grade piece of educational history — ideal for collectors of Meiji-era books, antique maps, Japanese calligraphy, or early school materials.
