Imperial University Order

1886, Japan

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June 29, 2026

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The Imperial University Order of 1886 in Japan was a pivotal reform that established a nationalistic educational system. This order rendered the university a state institution, tasked with training high officials and elites. It was part of a broader revision of the school system, including new regulations for elementary, middle, and normal schools, creating a rigid curriculum focused on fostering obedience and loyalty. This system, influenced by Prussian models, aimed to serve the state and was guided by the Imperial Rescript on Education, emphasizing traditional Confucian and Shinto values under imperial authority until after World War II.1

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education
Establishment of nationalistic education systems
The first was the Imperial University Order of 1886, which rendered the university a servant of the state for the training of high officials and elites in various fields. Later that year orders concerning the elementary school, the middle school, and the normal school were issued, forming the structural…
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The first was the Imperial University Order of 1886, which rendered the university a servant of the state for the training of high officials and elites in various fields. Later that year orders concerning the elementary school, the middle school, and the normal school were issued, forming the structural…
Read More