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on, chiefly under Christian auspices, in very poor districts in large cities.
During the early years of New Japan female education was almost entirely in the hands of the Christian missionaries, who alone seemed to realize the necessity of a better education and training for the future mothers of the nation. But thinking Japanese have come to realize, with Count Ōkuma, that all countries which have attempted "to work with the male sex as the single standard" have "fallen signally behind in the march of progress"; and that "Japan by raising woman to her proper place should provide herself with a double standard." Thus it has come about that educational privileges for girls and young ladies are increasing.
Law schools, medical schools, theological seminaries, and other professional schools are numerous; on these lines private enterprise is very active, because the public institutions are inadequate.
There used to be a great dearth of good private institutions of learning, and this lack was partly due to the fact that private enterprise in this direction received little encouragement, and public spirit was lacking on the part of those who might have assisted in this way. But recently both the advantages of private schools and the opportunities thus afforded to men of means have come to be appreciated.
In this connection a few words should be written concerning mission schools, which will also be con-