Japan Special Collection: Hawaii Japanese Language School Textbook Collection: Honolulu Kyoikukai

1906: Honolulu Kyoikukai was founded by Ryuhei Mashita (真下竜平), Tetsuzo Takamura (高村鉄蔵),Akira Yoshino(芳野璋), and Eiho Tanaka (田中栄豊). Later it became a part of Hawai Kyoikukai and took charge of the textbook compilations.

1920s: Enactments of Gaikokugo Gakko Torishimari-ho (Foreign Language School Prohibition Law) in 1920 (For additional information please refer to links), and Gakunen Tanshuku Kitei (School-year Reduction Law) in 1922, divided the Japanese language schools into those who wished to contest the law and those who did not. Hawai Kyoikukai lost its function and was in danger of dissolving.

The Japanese language schools that wished to contest the law formed Honolulu Kyoikukai and began revising the textbooks. Honolulu Kyoikukai finished revising “Shotokayo (初等科用 elementary textbooks)”, “Toyogo Kyokasho (東洋語教科書 Oriental language textbook)” but most of the Japanese language schools did not use these textbooks.