Handwritten Character Forms and Learner Subjectivity: Focusing on the Taisho and Early Showa Period

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K17437
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Education on school subjects and activities
• Research Institution: University of Yamanashi (2020); Niigata University (2016-2019)
• Principal Investigator: SHIMIZU Fumihiro 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 准教授 (40747953)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 字形 / 学習者 / 書字規範 / 教科書体 / 手書き文字 / 小学書方手本 / 小学国語読本 / 大正期から昭和初期

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examines the actual state of calligraphy studies in the Taisho and early Showa periods, focusing on instruction on character forms, and proposes that calligraphy studies in this period were influenced by the New Education Movement, contemporary movement to abolish brushstrokes, trends in Chinese character policy, and promotion of calligraphy. It also elucidates the changing relationship between the textbook format of Shogaku Kokugo Tokuhon and handwritten character examples of Shogaku Kakikata Tehon－fourth generation national Japanese language textbooks－that became the norm for learners’ handwritten characters in the early Showa period. In addition, it clarifies the actual state of the subjectivity of character forms and learners by discussing the people who were involved in the creation of the textbooks and had devoted themselves to teaching character forms as well as extant writing on calligraphy paper, and the holding of penmanship contests.

Free Research Field

書写書道教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

昭和初期、国語書方教科書の毛筆の手書き文字の規範の書風が変化し、初唐の楷書に範が求められた。同時期、国語読本の本文には組み換えがきく教科書体活字が作成された。この時期に採用されていた字形や字形指導の考え方は戦後も色濃く受け継がれており、その意味において今日の書字学習の土台が作られたといってよい。また、教科書は学習者の主体性を重視した新教育運動の影響を受けている。本研究は大正期から昭和初期の字形指導を多角的に考察することにより、学習者の主体性を重視する今日の書字学習を構築するための基礎研究であり、これからの書字学習の方法論や学習の基盤となる字形規範の開発につながるものである。