a. The Cabinet System and the Minister of Education

In the early 1880's, the government decided to establish a constitutional government, open a national diet and establish a constitution. Thus, on October 12, 1881, the Imperial Rescript on the 1890 Opening of the National Diet was issued and over the next several years until the promulgation in 1889 of the so-called Meiji Constitution (formally the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, as stated later) political disputes subsided. On December 22, 1885, the existing Grand Council (Dajokan) was replaced by the Cabinet system according to a grand council notification (dajokan tatsu). The Cabinet was to be composed of a Prime Minister, and Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Finance, the Army, the Navy, Justice, Education, Agriculture-Commerce, and Communications. Apart from the Cabinet there was the Minister of the Imperial Household. Before this time, the structure of the Grand Council whose function was to assist the Emperor (Tenno) in his exercise of authority had been altered several times.

Immediately after the starting of the new Meiji government, the Grand Council was formally established on June 17, 1868, with the enforcement of the Form of Government (Seitaisho), which was issued on that day by the government for the enforcement of the Imperial Oath of Five Articles (Gokajono Goseimon) mentioned in Chapter 1. And after many changes, the Grand Council as it existed on September 24, 1871, comprised such main organs as the Minister of the Grand Council (Dajodaijin), the Minister of the Left (Sadaijin), the Minister of the Right (Udaijin), and the Councillors (Sangi); and under these main organs were the Secretaries (Kyo) as the heads of the various administrative Departments (Sho). On April 14, 1875, the Imperial Rescript on the Gradual Establishment of a Constitutional Government was issued and along with an accompanying grand council proclamation (dajokan fukoku), the Rescript newly founded the Council of Elder Statesmen (Genroin) for legislation and the Great Court of Judicature (Daishin'in) for justice apart from the Grand Council; the Prefectural Governors Conference (Chihokan Kaigi) was organized at the same time. Under the Grand Council system, until 1873 Councillors did not hold any positions as Secretaries of the Departments, but from 1873 Councillors served as the Secretaries as well except for the short period between 1880 and 1881.

Under the Cabinet system, the Ministers (Daijin), the heads of the Ministries (Sho), came to be the Cabinet members and were to participate in planning the affairs of the state in addition to their administrative work. The former position of the Secretary of Education (Monbukyo) was replaced by the new office of the Minister of Education (Monbudaijin) and the Department of Education (old Monbusho) was reorganized into the Ministry of Education (new Monbusho). Mori Arinori (1847-1889) assumed the first office of the Minister.

On February 27, 1886, the 1886 Ministries Organization Order (Kukusho Kansei ) was promulgated, which included the 1886 Ministry of Education Organization Order (Monbusho Kansei) as its part. Article 1 of the latter Order stated, "The Minister of Education shall administer the affairs having to do with education and learning." Within the Ministry of Education, the new Bureaus of General Affairs, Education, Editing and Accounting as well as the Minister's Secretariat (Daijin Kanbo) were established according to the Order. Also were set up the School Inspectors (Shigakukan) at the same time. Afterward there were frequent changes of the Ministry's organization. For example, the Education Bureau was divided into the Higher Education Bureau and the General Education Bureau in October, 1887. Also the General Affairs Bureau and the Accounting Bureau were abolished and their functions transferred to divisions within the Minister's Secretariat in August, 1891.