A Study on Japanese Songs of the“ Shogaku-Shokashu” in Comparison to the English Originals②

In 1872, the Japanese government in the Meiji era（1868 ～ 1912）promulgated school education policies known as “gakusei” （学制）. In these policies, the subject of music was established as “shoka-ka”（a department of shoka）. “Shoka” took on a role of moral education and helped to construct a national identity in the Meiji era. In early Meiji, the Japanese government actively pursued research into Western music and music education ahead of infrastructure development and economic policies. The music education research institution in the Ministry of Education, “Ongaku-Torishirabe-Gakari,”（音楽取調掛1879 ～ 1887）integrated educational contents, which featured worship to “tenno”（the Emperor of Japan）, into the lyrics of “shoka” songs. “Shoka” songs that are based on foreign songs and keep the same melodies as the originals, such as “Hotaru no hikari,”（蛍の光） are called “honyaku shoka”（translated school songs）. However, they are not verbatim translations, and there are many adaptations of these songs. The national image in the Meiji era can be analyzed by comparing “shoka” with their original counterparts. However, as of yet there are no studies based on this method of “shoka” analysis. This paper aims to address the abovementioned matters by examining the songs of the “Shogaku-Shokashu” （小学唱歌集） and comparing the translations to the original English texts