The or Peers School (Gakushūin School Corporation), initially known as Gakushūjo, is a Japanese educational institution in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, originally established to educate the children of Japan's nobility. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2002)
"Gakushū-in"
in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 230. The original school expanded from its original mandate of educating the royal family and has since become a network of institutions which encompasses

preschool A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school ...

through tertiary-level education.

History

The Peers' School was founded in 1847 by

Emperor Ninkō was the 120th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 仁孝天皇 (120)/ref> Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 until his death in 1846, and saw further deteriorati ...

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

."History of Gakushuin" at Gakushuin Women's College
retrieved 2013-2-27. Its purpose was to educate the children of the Imperial aristocracy (''

kuge The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese Imperial Court in Kyoto. The ''kuge'' were important from the establishment of Kyoto as the capital during the Heian period in the late 8th century until the rise of the Kamakur ...

''). Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1915). ''The Imperial Family of Japan,'' p. 26. Prior to the disestablishment of the Peerage in 1947, commoners had restricted access to Gakushuin, with limited slots only to the Elementary School and Middle School. In 1947, with the US mandated disestablishment of the

Kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords () and court nobles (), but were abolished with the 1947 constitution. Kazoku ( 華族) should not be confused with ' ...

system, enrollment in Gakushuin was fully opened up to the general public. The administration of the school was transferred to the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

at this time. Prior to 1947, Gakushuin was administered by the

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

Precepts

Emperor Ninko had four maxims inscribed on the walls of the ''Gakushūin'' building,Brinkley, Frank. (1915)
''A History of the Japanese People,'' p. 664
including # Walk in the paths trodden by the feet of the great sages. # Revere the righteous canons of the empire. # He that has not learned the sacred doctrines, how can he govern himself? # He that is ignorant of the classics, how can he regulate his own conduct? The school was moved to Tokyo in 1877. Its new purpose was to educate the children of the modern aristocracy. Members of the Imperial Family continue to study at Gakushūin.

Timeline

* 1847: founded as Peers' School * 1877: the school was established in

* 1884: ''Gakushūin'' became an Imperial institution. * 1885: Peeresses' School was created * 1947: ''Gakushūin'' became a private institution.

Gakushuin Corporation

The present-day Gakushuin Corporation comprises the following institutions: *

Gakushuin University is a private university in Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. It was re-established after World War II as an affiliate of the Gakushūin School Corporation. The privatized successor to the original Gakushūin University (or "Peers School") was estab ...

Gakushuin Women's College is a private women's college in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan; part of the Gakushūin School Corporation (学習院). The predecessor of the school was founded in 1847 by Emperor Kōmei. It was chartered as a junior college in 1949 and became a four ...

* Gakushuin Boys' Junior and Senior High School * Gakushuin Girls' Junior and Senior High School * Gakushuin Primary School * Gakushuin Kindergarten

Presidents

Notable alumni and faculty members

Teachers

Kanō Jigorō was a Japanese educator, athlete, and the founder of Judo. Along with Ju-Jutsu, Judo was one of the first Japanese martial arts to gain widespread international recognition, and the first to become an official Olympic sport. Pedagogical inno ...

—taught at Gakushūin *

Inagaki Manjirō was a Japanese diplomat and political theorist who was active during the Meiji period of Japan. Early life Inagaki was born in Nagasaki, as the son of a ''samurai'' of the Hirado Domain. As a young man he was a warder of the Satsuma men im ...

—taught briefly at Gakushūin

Alumni

: ''For alumni of Gakushuin University, see: Gakushūin University#Notable alumni'' ;

Imperial House of Japan The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the House of Yamato, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor i ...

* Yoshihito, Emperor Taishō - late 123rd

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* Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa - late 124th

* Nagako, Empress Kōjun, late

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- Former 125th

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- Current 126th

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- brother of Emperor Akihito *

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- wife of the Prince Hitachi *

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- son of Emperor Akihito *

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- wife of the Prince Akishino * Kazuko, Princess Taka - sister of Emperor Akihito * Shigeko, Princess Teru - sister of Emperor Akihito * Atsuko, Princess Yori - sister of Emperor Akihito * Takako, Princess Suga - sister of Emperor Akihito * Sayako, Princess Nori - daughter of Emperor Akihito *

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- brother of

Emperor Shōwa Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

Kikuko, Princess Takamatsu , born , was a member of the Japanese Imperial Family. The Princess was married to Prince Takamatsu, the third son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. She was, therefore, a sister-in-law of Emperor Shōwa and an aunt-in-law of the following e ...

- wife of the Prince Takamatsu *

Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu , was the second son of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako), a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. As a member of the Imperial House of Japan, he was the patron of severa ...

- brother of

Takahito, Prince Mikasa was a Japanese prince, the youngest of the four sons of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako). He was their last surviving child. His eldest brother was Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito). After serving as a junior cavalry officer in th ...

- brother of

Yuriko, Princess Mikasa (born ; 4 June 1923), is a member of the Imperial House of Japan as the widow of Takahito, Prince Mikasa, the fourth son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. The Princess is the last surviving paternal great-aunt-in-law of Emperor Naruhito, an ...

- wife of the Prince Mikasa *

Prince Tomohito of Mikasa was a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the eldest son of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa. He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and was formerly sixth in the line of succession to the Japanese throne and the ...

- son of the Prince Mikasa * Princess Yasuko of Mikasa - daughter of the Prince Mikasa * Princess Masako of Mikasa - daughter of the Prince Mikasa *

Princess Akiko of Mikasa is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the elder daughter of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (Nobuko). Biography Education Princess Akiko graduated from Gakushuin University in Tokyo with a bachelor's degree ...

- daughter of Prince Tomohito *

Princess Yōko of Mikasa is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the second daughter of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (Nobuko). Biography Early life and education Princess Yōko was born on 25 October 1983 at Japanese Red Cross Med ...

- daughter of Prince Tomohito *

Norihito, Prince Takamado was a Japanese member of the Imperial House of Japan and the third son of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa. He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and was seventh in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne at the time of his de ...

- son of the Prince Mikasa *

Princess Tsuguko of Takamado is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the eldest daughter of Norihito, Prince Takamado, and Hisako, Princess Takamado. Biography Princess Tsuguko was born on 8 March 1986 at Aiiku Hospital in Minami-Azabu, Tokyo. She graduated from th ...

- daughter of the Prince Takamado * Princess Noriko of Takamado - daughter of the Prince Takamado * Princess Ayako of Takamado - daughter of the Prince Takamado *

Yoshihito, Prince Katsura was a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the second son of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa. He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito of Japan, Emperor Akihito. Originally known as Prince Yoshihito of Mikasa, he receive ...

- son of Prince Mikasa *

Aiko, Princess Toshi is a member of the Japanese imperial family. She is the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan. Birth Princess Aiko was born on 1 December 2001 at 2:43 PM in the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo Imperial Pal ...

- daughter of Emperor Naruhito ;

House of Yi The House of Yi, also called the Yi dynasty (also transcribed as the Lee dynasty), was the royal family of the Joseon dynasty and later the imperial family of the Korean Empire, descended from the Joseon founder Yi Seong-gye. All of his descendan ...

* Lieutenant General Prince Imperial Ui Min * Prince Yi Geon of Korea * Prince Yi Gu of Korea * Prince Yi Kang of Korea * Prince Yi U of Korea * Princess Deokhye of Korea ; Others * Princess Huisheng of Aisin Gioro ( Qing ruling family of Imperial China) *

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...

, Director *

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

Tarō Asō is a Japanese politician serving as the Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. Asō previously served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009 and as Deputy Prime Minister of Japan and Minister of Finance from 2 ...

, former

Prime Minister of Japan The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Stat ...

Michihiko Kano was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan. He was Minister of Agriculture. He lost his seat in the 16 December 2012 general election. Kano was born in Yamagata. He graduated from Gakushuin University is a private univer ...

Yukio Mishima , born , was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, Shintoist, Nationalism, nationalist, and founder of the , an unarmed civilian militia. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century. He was ...

, Author * Shiono Nanami, Author *

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* Hisaoki Kamei *

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* Yasuko Ikenobo * Yoshiki Kuroda *

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* Akiko Kobayashi *

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, Author *

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In fiction

In the novel '' Spring Snow'' by

, set in the early 1910s, the characters Kiyoaki Matsugae and Shigekuni Honda attend the school.

References

External links

Gakushūin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gakushuin Gakushuin University Educational institutions established in 1877 Education in Tokyo Private schools in Tokyo 1877 establishments in Japan School Corporations in Japan