The Meiji Period was a time of transition and restoration. Emperor Meiji realized how far behind Japan was compared to the rest of the world, especially the western hemisphere. Before the Meiji period small-scale schools existed that were run by temple monks for the benefit of local children. These schools taught the minimum of reading, writing, and abacus which were necessary for everyday life. Meiji period schools were considered to be the basic abilities necessary for subjects of the new nation.

Emperor Meiji had a good idea to construct schools throughout Japan, although his idea did not exactly turn out the way he planed. The schools' curriculum was not fully developed and sometimes very confusing. There was not enough time to devote enough time to teach other subjects such as science, history, geography, etc. Not until 1946 did a group of American education specialists visit Japan and give a number of recommendations. Then in 1947 Japanese schools finally included social studies into their curriculum and emphasized educating students to be responsible members of society. That is what led up to the strict discipline of students in modern Japanese schools today (see Heisei Schools).