Documents with Commentaries Part 5 Enactment of the Constitution of Japan
There were many books with simple text and pictures aimed at explaining the principles of the new Constitution to children and young people. They were a part of educational efforts targeted at achieving the ideal of the new Constitution, which was also explicitly stated in the Fundamental Law on Education enacted in March 1947. Tokujiro Kanamori, Deputy Chairman of the Constitution Popularization Society, and Toshiyoshi Miyazawa, a constitutional scholar and the Secretary of this society, also wrote books aimed at children. The Constitution for Children which was authored by the New Education Promotion Society was recommended by the Constitution Popularization Society. At the same time, the Ministry of Education published "Democracy," a social studies textbook aimed at middle and high school students. It was written in colloquial style, to explain democracy as the principle ideal of the new Constitution.
| Actual Title of Source | Kodomo no Kenpo Ichirokun to Harukosan no Nikki Kara |
|---|---|
| Author(s) or Creator(s) | New Education Promotion Society |
| Place of Publication | Nagoya |
| Publisher | Koyusha |
| Date of Publication | March 8, 1948 |
| Physical Description | 40 pages, 18 cm |
| NDLC | |
| NDC | |
| Call Number | Ji-Otsubu-48-S-54 |
| Repository | International Library of Children's Literature |
| Note | Exhibit was reissued The first edition was issued on October 18, 1947 |
| Actual Title of Source | Atarashii Kenpo no Hanashi |
|---|---|
| Author(s) or Creator(s) | Toshiyoshi Miyazawa |
| Place of Publication | Tokyo |
| Publisher | Asahi Shimbun |
| Date of Publication | March 8, 1948 |
| Physical Description | 190 pages illustrated; 19 cm |
| NDLC | |
| NDC | |
| Call Number | Ji-32-M-4 |
| Repository | International Library of Children's Literature |
| Note | Only part of the book including cover is shown. Exhibit is the second edition First edition was issued on June 15, 1947 |
| Actual Title of Source | Shonen Shojo no Tame no Kenpo no Ohanashi |
|---|---|
| Author(s) or Creator(s) | Text by Tokujiro Kanamori; illustrations by Renzaburo Yoshizawa and Takashi Miwa |
| Place of Publication | Tokyo |
| Publisher | Sekaisha |
| Date of Publication | May 10, 1949 |
| Physical Description | 93 pages, 21 cm |
| NDLC | |
| NDC | |
| Call Number | Ji-32-K-1 |
| Repository | International Library of Children's Literature |
| Note | Designed by Fumio Matsuda |
| Actual Title of Source | Minshu Shugi |
|---|---|
| Author(s) or Creator(s) | Ministry of Education |
| Place of Publication | Tokyo |
| Publisher | Kyoikutosho |
| Date of Publication | October 20, 1949 |
| Physical Description | 232 pages, 22 cm |
| NDLC | |
| NDC | 363.1 |
| Call Number | a309-22 |
| Repository | National Diet Library |
| Note | Exhibited was reissued. The first edition was issued on October 30, 1948. |
