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Hello, can you summarize the text of this print by Kiyochika. It certainly is some satirical view of modern education implemented by meiji government

francis minvielle

As you may know, this depicts a Sensei (teacher) giving a lecture. More literally, it references Iroha Readings (いろは読語). The term 算 (san) here specifically means "calculation."

The phrase いろは読語 (Iroha tango) translates literally to "Iroha Readings," which is a playful pun on 単語 (tango, meaning "vocabulary"). A more natural translation could be "Irohachats or Vocabulary". The scene shows an angry teacher attempting to teach the basics to two children. The Iroha method uses syllable memorization to compensate for the children’s limited comprehension.

The syllable “ri” originates from the series Alphabet Soup of Moral Issues (Kyouiku Iroha Dango), alternatively translated as The ABCs of Education. The scene depicts a furious teacher glaring at a kneeling, tearful student, with lasers metaphorically shooting from his eyes, while a second student stands nearby, wearing a baffled expression and sticking out their tongue.
So, summarizing: This series arranges educational poems according to the traditional Japanese Iroha syllabary order. It features text by Koppi Michito (the pen name of manga artist Takeki Nishimori, a key contributor to Marumaruchinbun) and illustrations by Kiyochika. Scholar Timothy T. Clark notes the series comprises 21 prints, though the National Diet Library’s album holds only 18. The work is widely interpreted as a critique of the Meiji government’s persistent push for educational reform, reflecting societal tensions around pedagogy during this era.
As you can see references here:

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Have a nice weekend
Renato Araújo

Thanks a lot for all your explanations!

Hi there,

I’m back to clarify a few details and offer an interpretation (rather than a summary) of the text:

算談 (Sandan) – "Arithmetical Talks" | Syllable り (Ri)
両方をそろせ (Ryōhō o sorose): “Make both sides equal.”

中間を欠せよ (Chūkan o kakeseyo): “Omit the middle.”

り (Ri): This syllable, from the Iroha syllabary order, ties to the aphorism:
教育いろは談語 り 両方聞いて下知を為せ (Kyōiku Iroha Dango – Ri: Ryōhō kiite kuchi o nase):
“Educational Iroha Talks – Ri: Listen to both parties before issuing your directive.”

Key Interpretation:
The phrase “Balance the two ends; leave out the middle” encapsulates a classical Confucian-legalist ideal of impartial judgment—emphasizing gathering evidence from “both sides” before making decisions or giving orders.

Hope this helps! I’m not in the mood to overthink translations today—just a lazy Japanese student, like those two kids in the print. It’s the weekend, after all. 😴

Have a great weekend!
Renato

Since I will not translate it at all, this is my last consideration on this text: this print is a satirical call to balance educational principles. So, the たんご 育 いろは漆語 うきい両方けて きく ("Vocabulary, Education, Iroha Lacquer-Talks: Float both sides and listen.") or, in other words: 教育いろは談語　り　両方聞いて下知を為せ("Educational Iroha Talks – Ri (syllabe): Listen to both sides and issue your directive(give your orders).").

References to "教育いろは談語" (Educational Iroha Talks) and "裁判" (judgment) suggest a critique of Japan’s Meiji-era educational policies and legal systems. The chaotic tone mirrors frustration with rigid Confucian-legalist ideals opposed with western modernization. There’s no clear storyline in the text, it jumps between characters, surreal events, and abstract moralizing, so its a satirical text.

The Meiji government prioritized education as a tool for modernization and national unity, but it was modeled on Western structures, aimed at universal literacy and technical training. Early Meiji schools struggled to balance Western curricula (e.g., science, foreign languages etc.) with Japanese values, leading to tensions depicted in art and literature.

Besides that, the 1890 Imperial Rescript on Education emphasized Confucian virtues like loyalty, filial piety, and patriotism, blending traditional ethics with state ideology. the Iroha syllabary (a traditional Japanese alphabet) was used to teach reading and morality, but in rigid pedagogy and useless memorization methode, criticized by the satira - the stress of modernization on students and teachers.

Please, see this:

https://egenolfgallery.com/ja/collections/%E6%98%8E%E6%B2%BB/products/%E6%B8%85%E8%BF%91-%E6%80%92%E3%82%8A%E3%81%A3%E3%81%BD%E3%81%84-%E6%95%99%E5%B8%AB-%E6%95%99%E8%82%B2%E3%81%AEabc%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89

I hope this could help a little on the general comprehension of the text sense.
best wishes,
Renato

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