Chapter 5 From the Opening of Schools to Neesima’s Last Moments 1. Education for Rural Areas in Japan and taught them the Bible in “Classroom No.30.” These young students were later called the “Kumamoto Band.” 4. Caning for Self-Punishment In March of1880, in Doshisha’s fifth year, an incident occurred. Teachers decided to combine the classes of students who entered the school in January of 1879 with those who came 4 months later, and to teach them together as one class. This decision caused discontent in the first class of students and they wrote an angry letter to the teachers to ask them about it. This even led to a strike by the students, where they were deliberately absent from classes. In the morning worship on April 13th, 1880, Neesima said “Students’ absence from class is a violation of school regulations, but the students are not to blame. Neither is our school board. As the principal of this school, I am the one to be blamed, and this is all my fault. Therefore, I must punish the principal.” After saying that, he struck his left hand with his cane so hard that the cane broke in half. One of the students present at the morning worship was Iichiro(Soho) Tokutomi. He quit the school after this “Caning for Self-Punishment,” then played an active role as a journalist. Even after he left Doshisha, he helped Neesima to establish Doshisha University with great dedication, and played a large role in writing “The Aims of Doshisha University”. One of Neesima’s dreams was to see Christian schools in various regions in Japan. In June, 1886, he opened Miyagi Academy in Miyagi prefecture and became the principal. In the following year, the school was renamed as Toka School, and its school motto was “Seek Truth and Do Good.” After Neesima’s death, Toka School was later closed in 1892, but the school motto is still preserved on the outer wall of Sendai Nika Junior and Senior High School. In 1889, Kyoaisha was established in Gunma prefecture, for which Neesima is listed as one of the original promoters. Neesima was also interested in medicine because he hoped to help people not only spiritually but also physically. He talked to J.C. Berry, who was one of medical missionaries of American Board, and started Doshisha Hospital and
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