Meiji Jogakkō (1885–1909) was a primary- to tertiary-level school for women that purposefully mixed Western, Confucian, and nativist ideas in order to put forth a new understanding of what modern education for women should entail. Via various publications during the Meiji period, the school argued that the image of the female student (jogakusei) represented the Japanese modernity and was the universal model for modern Japanese. As one way of nurturing this national role model, unlike similar contemporary facilities, the school provided physical education and urged the students and their educators to take it up.

Five years before the Dainippon Butokukai began its activities in 1895, Meiji Jogakkō had started focusing on martial arts such as naginata. The fact that martial arts represented an important part of the curriculum and the school’s mission is illustrated by the school building its own dōjō, organizing public martial performances, establishing an independent martial arts department/specialty, as well as the frequent mentions of the topic in the school’s publications by both students and staff. These mentions in particular are valuable primary sources that have yet to be studied in depth.

In order to provide new insights into the history of physical education and martial training, this paper analyses the writings found in the magazines published by the school, i.e., Jogaku zasshi (1885–1905) and Jogakusei (1890–93) that explore the topic of martiality, questioning the gender norms and stereotypes surrounding our understanding of modern concepts of martiality and Meiji-period education for women.