The empirical study on Japan-U.S. Physical Education Exchanges- Missionary Work in Japan by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions(ABCFM)and an Introduction to Modern American Physical Education in Japan

• Project/Area Number: 22500531
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical education
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: OBITSU Takashi 北海道大学, 大学院・教育学研究院, 教授 (00203927)
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2012
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2012)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2010: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
• Keywords: 身体運動文化論 / 教育学 / 日本史 / 日米体育交流 / 近代日本体育 / アメリカン・ボード日本ミッション / 体操伝習所 / 米国人宣教師 / アマースト・グループ / コングリゲーショナル / 近代米国体育 / お雇い外国人教師 / コングリゲイショナル

Research Abstract

This paper reports an examination of actual situations regarding various aspects of modern physical education imported from the United States to Japan. Focus is placed on the Congregationalist denomination based on historical records kept in Japan and the U.S. The study revealed that the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions（ABCFM）initially planned to popularize physical education in Japan as part of its missionary efforts during work to propagate Christianity there. It was also found that Amherst College （ an institution established with strong support from Congregationalists that dispatched Dr. George Adams Leland to Japan）had enormous personal, educational and ideological impacts on the introduction of physical education in the country. The study outcomes further revealed that the U.S. Government had long shown an interest in the future of the Amherst Plan for physical education in Japan even after Dr. Leland returned to the U.S.