No.22 Attending the 140th Anniversary Ceremony of Inagi Dai 1 Elementary School

(Inagi Newsletter August 15, 2013 issue)

On Saturday, July 6, 2013, a commemorative ceremony was held grandly with the attendance of many related parties.
Inagi Dai 1 Elementary School, along with Inagi Dai 2 Elementary School, was established in the 6th year of the Meiji era, making it the oldest elementary school in the city. However, if we count from the origin of the Nagunuma Village School (founded in the 4th year of the Meiji era), it becomes the third oldest elementary school in Tokyo.
By the way, the oldest elementary school is Tachikawa Dai 1 Elementary School, which originated from Shibasaki Gō School founded on March 3, 1870. The second is Wakabayashi Elementary School, which originated from Taishidō Gō School founded on April 3, 1871. Inagi's Naganuma Gō School was established a week later on April 10.
By the way, what kind of school was a local school? During the Meiji Restoration, a new government took over from the Edo Shogunate. This new government implemented various policies to strengthen the country and prevent it from becoming a colony of Western powers, aiming to establish Japan as an equal first-class nation with the West. One of the pillars of this was educational reform, and they quickly began to establish schools.
In February of the 2nd year of the Meiji era, the new government established the "Prefectural Administrative Order" to indicate the policy of the Tokyo Prefecture and various prefectures, encouraging the establishment of schools based on the administrative unit of villages (a unit consisting of multiple villages). The village schools were established based on this.
At that time, the Tama area belonged to Kanagawa Prefecture, and in the 4th year of the Meiji era, the establishment of village schools within the prefecture was instructed. According to this instruction, a total of 15 schools were actually established. In the neighboring areas, Ono Village School was established in Machida Onoji, Fuda Village School in Chofu, Yuki School in Horinouchi Village, Takahata School in Takahata Village, Hino School in Hino-juku, and Mukogaoka School in Renkouji Village.
In August of the 5th year of Meiji, the "School System" was promulgated, and a new elementary school based on this new system was established, leading to the rapid conclusion of the role of the local schools.
In the 6th year of the Meiji era, three schools, Daien, Hakubun, and Junshin, were established in the Nagunuma School District and were succeeded by a new elementary school. In the same year, in the Sakahama area, "Risshi Elementary School" was opened, originating from the private school of Hōzōin.
Students learning at a school with such history and tradition should take pride in it. The accumulation of such time has been made possible thanks to the teachers of past generations and the support from the local community, for which I express my heartfelt respect and gratitude.