Study notes Now and then and in the future February 1, 16:57
A study notebook that everyone used when they were little.
As a kid, I used to study colorful plants and insects.
This note made me love insects, and I used to catch cicadas and mantis in a nearby park with an insect net in my hand.
However, some changes have recently occurred in this study notebook.
(Radio Center Kumiko Seko)
The intention of starting the series
"Japonica study book" known for the covers of plants and insects.
Born in 1970, 1.4 billion books have been sold so far.
According to the person in charge of developing Showa Note, the "photographs" of creatures were novel and explosively hit when illustrations such as baseball and girls were the mainstream on the cover.
Showa Note Development Manager Masahiro Yoshihashi
"At that time, as pollution became a social problem, I wanted children to be interested in nature and take good care of the environment. Therefore, there is only one rare plant in the world. I decided to put a picture of an insect on the cover. "
The photographer in charge of shooting the cover
The photographer Susumu Yamaguchi (72) has taken the cover photo.
In charge of shooting alone for over 40 years from 1978.
So far, I have visited about 30 countries for shooting, and I have worked on 700 types of covers.
How did Mr. Yamaguchi continue to shoot?
Susumu Yamaguchi
"I want to stimulate the curiosity of children. I want to know the names and their ecology by looking at pictures of flowers and insects. Curiosity nurtures the power of human life. So what is this? I'm trying to take pictures that make me wonder. "
History of study notes
What is the history of these study notes?
First, we talked to Mr. Taimichi, an old stationery collector who is familiar with old stationery.
Mr. Taimichi
"The modern school system was established in the Meiji era, but there is a record that a publisher in Osaka sold a ruled paper notebook in 1902, and I think this is the beginning of the study notebook. I will be
This Osaka publisher, which is said to have made the first study notebook, is actually connected to Japan Notebook, which has the top share of study notebook manufacturing.
I checked it immediately.
Mr. Kentaro Yamano, Japan Notebook Sales Promotion Office
"In-house records show that a product called" exercise book "in 1897 was inspired by European notebooks from 1890, and it is a notebook for elementary school students. Full-scale production of each of them has begun. Probably, our company started manufacturing study notebooks for the first time in Japan. "
I was shown a study notebook owned by Mr. Taimichi from the Taisho era to the Showa era.
The specifications are different for each subject, and the timetable can be written on the back cover, so I felt that it was almost the same as it is now.
However, study notebooks became popular in the Taisho era after World War I.
Surprisingly, the pencil was the trigger, says Junpei Hayashi, a curator of the Kyoto Municipal Museum of History, which holds textbooks.
Mr. Junpei Hayashi, Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History
"In World War I, the supply of pencils became insufficient internationally, and Japanese companies entered the international market. However, Japanese products at that time were of poor quality, so after the war, overseas. Then, it will not sell. Therefore, it is said that the study notebook became popular along with the pencil because the company sold the pencil to Japanese schools. "
The cover of the insect has disappeared!
??
The truth is
Now, let's get back to the Japonica study journal.
A number of photos taken with difficulty trying to stimulate the curiosity of children.
However, if you look at the study notebooks currently on sale, there is only a flower cover.
Nine years ago, it was talked about that insects disappeared from the cover and children's dislike of insects increased, so I think some people may remember it.
However, according to the person in charge, the direct reason for the disappearance of insects was not the increase in insect dislike.
Masahiro Yoshihashi
"The main reason why insects disappeared was that I couldn't shoot colorful insects suitable for the cover in Africa at that time. However, there were voices saying," I'm scared of insect photos. " Since it came out, it is a fact that insects were excluded from popular products. "
Photographer Yamaguchi talks about children who dislike insects as follows.
Susumu Yamaguchi
"Children who dislike insects also participate in the nature class I hold, but as a result, all children feel that they like insects. Children who dislike insects also touch insects. Look at it and you'll love it. "
"Children like insects" In
fact, there are facts that support Mr. Yamaguchi's words.
In 2015, three years after the insects disappeared from the cover, a popularity vote was held on the cover, and insects such as beetles and stag beetles became popular.
Therefore, at that time, a reprint with insects on the cover was released.
And in September of last year, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of its release, we are selling a limited series again with only insects such as stag beetles and mantis on the cover.
Why did you dare to sell limited-edition products only for insects while there are children who dislike insects?
Mr. Masahiro Yoshihashi
"I thought that if you could touch insects even a little, you wouldn't hate insects. I want you to know nature again by being interested in insects."
The future of study notes
On the other hand, with the digitization of textbooks using tablet terminals and the declining birthrate, the notebook side is also trying to respond.
The Nissan Note sells half the size of a normal notebook that does not get in the way when placed next to a tablet device, and a newly made moral study notebook.
There are also more advanced moves.
I'm sure some of you lent and borrowed your study notes with your friends when you were a student, but recently, apps that digitize those rents and borrowings have appeared.
With this app called "Clear", you can take a note you wrote and publish it on the app so that you can share it not only with your friends around you but also with children all over the country.
Currently, it is used by 2.3 million people in Japan and one in three junior and senior high school students, and its use is expanding overseas such as Indonesia.
The president of the company that runs the app says:
CLEAR President Goichiro Arai
"Children's notebooks are easy-to-understand and valuable educational assets, but they have not been used until now. If they can be shared by the power of digital, children can teach each other studying. I thought I could do it. "
You can browse notes for each subject such as Japanese and math, and you can like and exchange comments on easy-to-understand notes.
At the point, you can see how the children are trying to learn in an easy-to-understand manner by using colored pens and drawing illustrations.
It is said that by trying to make easy-to-understand notes to put on the app, you can motivate yourself to study and improve your presentation ability.
In addition, other children's notebook viewers also have the advantage of learning how to study by knowing how to make easy-to-understand notebooks.
The number of users of the app has increased about 1.5 times due to the influence of the new coronavirus.
It is expected that the number of children's connections through notebooks will continue to increase, as some children have said that they have lost their loneliness and have been healed.
In response to the digitization of these study notes, study notes that open 180 degrees horizontally when opened and have no shadow when shooting have been developed, and the notes themselves have been digitized.
Study notes may change further in the future.
Through this interview, I felt that the children received various messages from their study notebooks.
Children are also trying to connect with their friends and develop their own learning skills through study notes.
As a parent, I hope that the study notes will continue to expand the world of children and give them the opportunity to draw big dreams.
Radio Center
Kumiko Seko
Joined the
station in
2005
After working at the Nara station, Osaka station, and social department, she is currently
in charge of producing and interviewing radio news.
Mother of one child