Yoh Sugisaki (1877–1943) was a psychologist who worked at Nagano Normal School from 1916 to 1939. He introduced a series of laboratory exercises into his psychology lectures and encouraged students to cooperate with each other in data analysis and report writing. He inspired students who were losing sight of their goal and motivated them to concentrate on further learning. In Nagano, he organized self‐training groups for uncertified teachers in local elementary schools, providing up‐to‐date learning and research experience and emphasizing the significance of class planning management and the understanding of children's individuality. On the basis of these activities, Sugisaki formulated a view of education that combined psychology, pedagogy, and religion. Because of his remarkable contributions to elementary education, he was certainly a pioneering educational psychologist in Japan.