At first glance, the Tsukamoto kindergarten looks like any other school in Japan, but its unique curriculum is reminiscent of the prewar era.
The private school, which has been visited by Akie Abe, wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, aims to instill in its 3- to 5-year-old pupils a sense of patriotism with a curriculum focused on Japanese traditions and culture.
Its mornings start with uniformed children singing the national anthem in front of the country's flag and reciting in stilted Japanese the prewar Imperial Rescript on Education, containing commandments set out in 1890 to nurture "ideal" citizens under Emperor Meiji. These embody Confucian virtues and demand devotion to the Emperor and sacrifice for the country.