Tsunesaburo Makiguchi
Value-Creating Education

Rather than provide knowledge itself, we must encourage the joy and excitement that arise from learning.

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Tsunesaburo Makiguchi
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Early Years

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1871-1901      Early  Years
Year
Date
Age
Event
1868
Jan 3
    
The Meiji emperor proclaims the restoration of imperial rule.
1871
June 6
0
Born Choshichi Watanabe, eldest son of Chomatsu Watanabe and his wife, Ine, in the village of Arahama (in present-day Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, Japan). more>>
1874
  
3
Father Chomatsu Watanabe leaves Arahama to work in Hokkaido; the family have no further contact with him.
1876   5 Mother Ine remarries.

Makiguchi's mother, Ine

  
1877 May 9 5 Adopted by Zendayu Makiguchi and his wife, Tori (his father's younger sister).  
1878-82   7-11 Attends local primary school. At age 11, he goes to work for his adopted father, although it is said local villagers recognize his potential and recommend he continue his education.  
1879 Apr 4 8   The Ryukyu Islands are incorporated into Japan as Okinawa Prefecture.
1884   13 Leaves his adopted family in Arahama for Otaru in Hokkaido at age 13 to work for several years as an errand boy at the local police department, while reading and studying avidly.  
1889 Feb 11 18   The emperor promulgates the Constitution of the Empire of Japan.
  Apr 20   Gains entrance to the Hokkaido Normal School (a teacher training school) in Sapporo, the administrative center of Hokkaido. more>>  
1890 Oct 30 19   The emperor issues the Imperial Rescript on Education. more>>
1892 June 21 Starts teaching at the elementary school attached to the Hokkaido Normal School as a trainee teacher.  
1893 Jan 11 22 Changes name to Tsunesaburo.  
  Mar 31   Graduates from the Hokkaido Normal School, third in class, and is engaged as a teacher at the attached elementary school.

Graduating from the Hokkaido Normal School

  
1894 Aug 1 23   Start of war with Qing Dynasty China.
1895   24 Marries Kuma, 19, a member of the Makiguchi family from Arahama.  
1896 Jan 10 25 Passes the Ministry of Education examination for the teacher's license for the teaching of geography in secondary schools, the first teacher in Hokkaido to do so. more>>  
1897 Nov 1 26 Appointed assistant teacher of geography at the Hokkaido Normal School while continuing to teach at the attached elementary school.  
1898 Jan 2 27 Birth of first daughter, Yuri.  
1899 Mar 29 28 Birth of first son, Tamiki.  
  May 29 Receives the Ministry of Education's standard elementary-school teacher's license.  
  July 12   Publication of the essay Yama to jinsei (Mountains and Human Life), in the Hokkaido Normal School alumni periodical.  
  Aug 6   Death of adoptive father, Zendayu (aged 56).  
  Sep   Appointed to the board of the Association for Education in the Region of Hokkaido; he also serves as editor-in-chief for its journal.  
1900 Jan 12 29 Placed in charge of a dormitory at Hokkaido Normal School.  
  Mar 28   Receives the Ministry of Education's secondary-school teacher's license.

As an elementary school teacher in Hokkaido, c.1900

  
  Mar 31   Appointed full instructor at Hokkaido Normal School.  
  June 2-3   Elected to the Board of Trustees of the Association for Education in the Region of Hokkaido.  
1901 Apr 18 30 Resigns from his positions at Hokkaido Normal School.