Original mathematics called Wa-san was developed in Japan during the Edo period (1603~1867). Wa-san has its root in ancient Chinese mathematics, so it has a completely different form and notation etc. from Western mathematics. Pre-modern Japanese mathematicians, who were called Wasan-ka, however, have made a great advance in algebra, geometry and integral calculus. The study of integral calculus in Japan before modernization differed from its Western form, and was uniquely materialized independently from physical phenomenon. Japanese of the Edo period loved mathematics supremely; the environment where mathematics was studied spread everywhere in Japan.

Tokugawa bakufu government collapsed in 1867. It meant that the Edo period ended and the Meiji period begun. The new Meiji government changed the conventional education system as part of the modernization campaign of a country, and in order to introduce Occidental modern education, it established the Ministry of Education in 1874. An Investigation Committee of the education system was organized by the Ministry of Education and started discussion on the system of public school in the latter half of this year. Then the government ordinance on reform of the schools system and its curriculum was stated in 1872. It was named "Gakusei" In this declaration the new Meiji government said that Wa-san (pre-modern Japanese mathematics) was abandoned in elementary school and instead Yo-san (western mathematics) was adapted. This decision meant the expulsion of traditional mathematics from public education.

In 1877, the University of Tokyo was established. It means that modern higher education has begun in Meiji Japan officially. Dairoku Kikuchi (1855-1917) was the first appointed mathematics professor. He studied in Britain in two periods, 1867 and 1870, and went back in 1877 to occupy his position in the University. Tokyo mathematical society was established by Wasan-ka and Yosan-ka in 1877. A magazine of Tokyo mathematical society was published in same year with the aim of popularizing mathematics among the public. Those movements mean that western mathematics was formally accepted in Japanese society, and it also meant a start of its popularization.

In this symposium we will discuss the process of conversion from Wa-san to Yo-san at the beginning of the Meiji period.