Reconsideration on the role of Aritomo Yamagata in the process of making “the Imperial Rescript on Education”

The purpose of this paper is to reconsider the role of Aritomo Yamagata in the process of making “the Imperial Rescript on Education”（“IRE”）. On the basis of “Hikki” and “Gunbiiken” , the previous studies conclude that Yamagata' s action concerning “IRE” was aimed at promulgation of “IRE” . According to the analysis of this paper, however, it has become clear that those documents are not appropriate to conclude that Yamagata' s action was aimed at the promulgation of “IRE” .Thus, this paper examines Yamagata' s action in the process of making “IRE” in terms of the political issues he tried to solve. The important acts by Yamagata concerning the formation of “IRE” are the following : 1. He took up the matter of moral education in the Cabinet meeting after the Local Governors' proposal for moral education reform. 2. He appointed Yoshikawa Akimasa as the Minister of Education. This thesis concludes that his having taken up the matter of moral education was related to his desires to implement the local autonomy system smoothly, to unite the members of the Cabinet. And it is clear that his having appointed Yoshikawa Akimasa as the Minister of Education was also related to his desire to choose a person who would follow him. It means that Yamagata' s action concerning the formation of “IRE” was relevant to the political issues he tried to solve, and as a result, his action led to the promulgation of “IRE”