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plant to germinate, so Western civilization has broken the hard and artificial social system of our country, and given freedom to women to develop their powers and to make their influence felt in Society at large.

Everything underwent a transformation under the influence of European civilization. The educational system was completely changed and modelled upon that of the Western nations. Both the Government and the people realized that the root of European civilization lay in its education, and that only through a reform of the educational system could Japan rise to the plane of European civilization. When once educational reform began, then the value and importance of women’s education, which had been entirely neglected up to that time, came to be felt. Schools of various grades for girls as well as for boys were established throughout the country. Schools wholly devoted to the education of girls were first established by Christian missionaries. The Government also greatly encouraged this reform, and made attendance at the schools of elementary grade compulsory for girls as well as boys from the age of six to twelve years. When public normal schools were established, the Government opened the doors to women as well as to men. A little later the Imperial High Normal School for Women was founded. This was the highest institution of learning for girls before the University for Women was founded some years ago.

Women’s education prospered steadily from about 1884 to 1891, when the period of reaction came. Girls who had received a modern education necessarily became broader in their ideas and more independent in their spirit. Their parents, however, who had been brought up in the old ways could not always appreciate and sympathize with the new ideas of their daughters, and a collision of ideas was often seen so strong as to seriously endanger the peace of the home. Although there were shortcomings on the part of the girls which led to unnecessary home troubles, yet conflict between the old ideas and the new in such a period of transition as our country had undergone could not possibly be avoided. The unenlightened public, however, was unable to understand this situation, and saw in it only the evils of modern education. They thought that education would make women creatures of self-importance, full of affectation and conceit and of one-sided development. It was also thought that education would destroy the beautiful ideals of Japanese womanhood. Thus, the feeling against the education of girls rose to a high point. From this time of reaction the direction of education for girls manifestly changed and became conservative in its tendency. The intellectual side of education was rather made light of, while the moral side was greatly