（4）Ideological Problems and the Education Renovation Council

The growth of student ideological movements occurred with great suddenness following World War I. The impetus for this activity came from the New Man Society (Shinjinkai), a group which was organized at Tokyo Imperial University in December, 1918. The group's influence extended far beyond Tokyo Imperial University making a strong impression on students in other higher educational institutions throughout the metropolis. It was not long before several other student groups came to be organized. Then on November 7, 1922, a league of such student organizations was established called the Federation of Students (Gakusei Rengokai) or FS for short.

At the time of its establishment, the Federation lacked true solidarity and hence did not have the appearance of a significant social movement. However, following the creation of the Tokyo Chapter in June, 1924, the Federation gradually began to take shape. In September of that same year the first general meeting was held in the Students' Hall of Tokyo Imperial University where 22 institutions were represented by more than seventy participating students, at which time the Federation was renamed the Student Federation of Social Science (Gakusei Shakaikagaku Rengokai) or SFSS (Gakuren) for short.

The Student Federation of Social Science quickly strengthened its organization and by the time of the opening of the second general meeting in the Student Assembly Hall of Kyoto Imperial University in July, 1925, some seventy study groups representing 2,000 students were involved. It was at this second general meeting that the Student Federation changed its official name to All-Japan Student Federation of Social Science (Zen Nippon Gakusei Shakaikagaku Rengokai).

In reaction against the growing student movement and other progressive political movements, the government on April 22,1925, promulgated the 1925 Peace Preservation Law and put it in force on May 12 of that year. Student groups immediately expressed their opposition to the Law. Then in January, 1926, the Law was used to arrest a number of persons such as Kyoto Imperial University and other institution students. This was the so-called "Kyoto Affair of the Student Federation" (Kyoto Gakuren Jiken). Several students who belonged to the Student Federation had come under suspicion for illegal publishing and hence their living quarters were searched. Using the items discovered as proof of the allegation, a general round-up was initiated and a number of persons in contact with the student social movement were arrested as outspoken foes of the 1925 Peace Preservation Law. Considerable reaction to this "Affair" followed on the part of the general public. The Law Faculty professors of Kyoto Imperial University and several sympathizers with them from among the Economics Faculty professors of that University issued a joint statement deploring the position taken by the police, which, they claimed, interfered with the self-government and purpose of the university and furthermore was indefensible from a legal point of view. The major daily newspapers in Tokyo and Osaka condemned the government for its mounting repression of ideological movements of socialist oriented student groups. Despite the government suppression these student groups continued to develop. On the other hand, from about 1930 the number of rightist student organizations increased. In June, 1931, the Japan Federation of Students (Nihon Gakusei Rengokai), an association of patriotic student groups was created, and this was followed by increasing activity on the part of nationalistic, patriotic student groups.

This period, then, from the end of the Taisho era (1912 -1926) through the first years of the Showa era (1926 -) was one of increasingly vigorous activity by student groups resulting in strong ideological attacks on the established social order. To combat this situation, the Ministry of Education in June, 1931, created a special committee for the investigation of student ideology, Based on this body's recommendation, in August, 1932, the Research Institute for National Spirit and Culture was founded. Then in June, 1934, the Student Affairs Department of the Ministry of Education, which was set up in July, 1929, and dealt with student ideology investigation and guidance, was replaced by the Ideological Control Bureau (Shisokyoku). On November 18, 1935, under the supervision of the Minister of Education, was created the Education Renovation Council (Kyogaku Sasshin Hyogihai), as authorized in the Education Renovation Council Organization Order promulgated on that day. The Council was asked to propose ways for achieving a fundamental shift in the spirit of national education. The Council conducted a thorough investigation of the curriculums at all educational levels but in the meanwhile the national situation went through important changes and national leaders came to feel that even stronger reforms than those contemplated by the Education Renovation Council would be necessary.

Thus on June 23, 1937, the Education Renovation Council was dissolved, and on December 10 of that year the 1937 Education Councial (Kyoiku Shingikai) was newly established as authorized in the 1937 Education Council Organization Order. The Council, comprising a president and no more than 65 members under the supervision of the Prime Minister took over control and began to address itself to the questions of education that had not as yet been properly dealt with.