The Meiji Restoration of 1868 ended six centuries of feudal military rule by establishing a divine Emperor and clam oligarchy. Compulsory schooling and military service soon followed. Until WWII both institutions engaged in moral training that was both Confucian and nationalistic in its emphasis on absolute loyalty to the state and Emperor. The ethical instruction in the school was taught in required "shuushin" courses. By the 1930's a new dimension was added to these courses: the suitability of Japan's national character for less well-endowed races. Military personnel received spiritual training in every facet of their preparation for Japan's defense and cosmopolitan destiny; their social role included modeling of the Japanese character. Post WWII schooling and military organization and training are markedly different. External intervention and national re-evaluation have resulted in democratic educational objectives and practices. Although constitutionally demilitarized in 1947, the military was re-established between 1950 and 1954. It is relatively small in size and budget, civilian controlled, staffed by volunteers, and is limited by statute and public opinion to a self-defense role. In conclusion, the dominant values of Japanese society, the mission and capabilities of the military forces, and the relationships between the armed forces and society today bear little surface resemblance to prewar Japan. (Author/DJB)