This study considers, as a form of receiving German pedagogy in Japan, how the pedagogy of
Theodor Litt (1880-1962) has been received in the development of pedagogy in Japan: that is, what
elements of Litt's thoughts and theories have interested Japanese educational researchers, been
studied and received, from the standpoint of "the history of reception and inference". The study deals
with literature and transactions of researchers from the beginning of the 1920's to 2010, for 90 years.
The total number of the literature about Litt in Japan is approximately 250 (monographs, articles,
translated books, items in dictionaries and others). While Litt-studies have been made in the fields of
sociology, philosophy and ethics as well as pedagogy, this study confines itself to pedagogy. The subtitle,
"An Attempt of Reconsidering the Japanese History of Educational Theories", reflects the fact that
recent studies on "academic pedagogy" after the 1920's in Germany indicates significant errors in the
understandings of Japanese reception of German pedagogy.
The outline of the study is: Introduction; 1) The Reception of German Pedagogy as Preconditions
of that of Th. Litt's Pedagogy; 2) The Reception of Th. Litt's Pedagogy and its Development; and 3)
Conclusion.