Mito school

The Mito school was a group of Japanese scholars, most notably Tokugawa Mitsukuni, who began compiling the Dai Nihon shi ("History of Great Japan") in the late 17th century. This comprehensive history, modeled after Chinese dynastic histories, aimed to reawaken Japanese nationalistic feelings and loyalty to the emperor. The project helped establish Confucian philosophy in Japan and emphasized the importance of Japanese classical studies.12

The Mito school's focus on the Imperial family and the usurpation of its power by shoguns contributed to the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which restored power to the emperor. This movement, along with the Kokugaku (National Learning) movement, promoted Shintō beliefs and loyalty to the emperor, shaping a modern Japanese national identity.132