From the Meiji to Taishō eras, government service was unimaginably oppressive to the citizenry. Without having the means to bribe a government official, it was a harsh, difficult time for many who were simply trying to make their way. There was a time when we would be setting ourselves up in competition with the government if we trained the elite students, especially those from private schools, and we feared, as a result, being cast as the enemy. Even several of the now world-famous universities in Tokyo were driven to near bankruptcy by the temporary government restrictions.

This tendency spread to the local government, and even our school, which was of little significance, would be swept up in it. However, it may have just been a coincidence.

Somehow, the national state of affairs became a strong reason for fomenting an attitude of extreme disrespect for authority, and even today this tendency still persists among ordinary citizens. As for the schools, citizens of developed western countries have the idea that private schools offer higher quality education than public schools, so the issues we were having might seem puzzling to them.