explanation for accurate pronunciation by non-Japanese speakers: for example, the syllables and , which are written as ' and ' in Hepburn, are rendered as ' and ' in Nihon-shiki. After Nihon-shiki was presented to the in 1886, a dispute began between the supporters of the two systems, which resulted in a standstill and an eventual halt to the organization's activities in 1892.

After the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the two factions resurfaced as the , which supported