The GHC Workshop “Linking the World and the History of Religion in Japan” was Held at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia on October 22, 2016

Firstly Mihoko Oka, Assistant Professor of the University of Tokyo, gave a brief explanation of the GHC workshop. She pointed out that it is necessary for researchers on Japanese history to think about the interrelations between Japan and the world as well as Japan’s special characteristics when considering Japan’s culture and history. This GHC workshop was organized in order to hold a joint research meeting that included both Japanese researchers on the history of Japan and researchers specializing in world history who share this idea.

The first speaker, Susumu Uejima, Professor of Kyoto University, who gave a presentation titled “Research on the History of Japan’s Middle Ages in the World: Modern historiography and the locality of Japan’s Middle Ages,” stated that while exchanges have been held with Western researchers on Japan up until now, thinking about research on Japan in the world context, he has been interested in transmitting research conducted in Japan to the world, that is, to hold exchanges among international researchers in world history. In the first half of the presentation, Professor Uejima clarified the differences between research conducted in Kyoto and Tokyo during the pioneering era of research on Japanese history. Kyoto’s academism attempted to differentiate itself from the Imperial University in the points of, for example, using a different demarcation of periods in Japanese history from those used up until that time. It was also critical of the historiography conducted in Tokyo for centering on political history and for aiming at a cultural history of Japan as a totality of Japan or a human history, rather than a history of differing discrete fields. In the second half of the presentation, Professor Uejima gave an explanation of his own research area, focusing on the characteristics of Japanese culture through examples including the shinno (new emperor) that Taira no Masakado had aimed for and the formation of Fujiwara no Michinaga’s “Oken” (rights of the monarch). In particular, the characteristic of Japanese religious culture was the way in which exoteric and esoteric Buddhism coexisted while experiencing changes. Professor Uejima indicated that while the basis was ancient Chinese civilization, there were also an internal change through the additional use of words originating in the Japanese language as well as novel external impacts including the acceptance of the Tang readings of Chinese characters. The public order of the eras was repeatedly formed as the three factors of Chinese civilization, Japanese culture and other cultures maintained a balance between themselves. Thus, it was pointed out by Professor Uejima that Japanese religious culture was based on a foundation of Chinese culture. As each of the historical eras of China accumulated over each other in strata in Japan, culture that had been lost in China was preserved in Japan in such a way as to enable valuable and high-quality ancient literature to be maintained in better condition than anywhere else in the world.

During the question and answer session, a question was asked about how the presenter considered the presence of the central authority as well as political intentions during the formation of Japanese history in Japan from the Meiji to the Taisho periods. The response to the question was that it is definitely true that there existed the viewpoint of Japanese history as performing a role in the unification of the nation-state. Professor Uejima further explained that when discussing modern historians he believes that it is important to make efforts to understand the thought of each of the historians within a view of history that was enforced by the political intentions of the central authority.

(Atsuko Ukai)

The second speaker, Satoshi Ito, Professor of Ibaraki University, gave a presentation titled “Distortions in the Mythological Narrative of the Middle Ages in Japan: In the Worldview of the Three Countries.” In Japan’s Middle Ages, in accordance with the circumstances of the times, the mythology of the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan) were modified and reinterpreted, and a large number of new myths were also produced. Today, these are known as the Medieval mythology (or Chusei Nihongi). The basic understanding about the world in the Middle Ages in Japan is the worldview of the three countries, based on the route of transmission of Buddhism, and the Medieval mythology is thought of within that framework. One of the primary themes pursued here regards the individuality, distinctiveness and superiority of Japan in the three countries, but in fact, this discourse was frequently attested to by the “smuggling” in of external factors. Professor Satoshi Ito’s presentation introducing the Medieval mythology as related to the “Konbon Shiyokajitsu Setsu,” the “Dainichi Inbun” and the “Jofuku to Godaihaku Dorai Tan,” clarified the worldview in the Middle Ages of Japan regarding the three countries of India, China and Japan and examined the distortions of this worldview.

After the presentation, the commentator, Tomoko Morikawa, Associate Professor of the University of Tokyo, mentioned that although there are dissimilarities of era and region between her specialty of West Asian religious and social history and the content of the workshop, there are deep connections with regard to the nature of religious culture. In addition, in a question in response to Professor Uejima’s presentation, Associate Professor Morikawa raised the question why, in comparison with other countries, there was a peculiar nature in the “emperor system” that could be said to be one of the power structures that were constructed in Japan from ancient to modern times. Professor Uejima explained that the distinctiveness of Japan can be found especially in the multipolarization of power in the Middle Ages. There was also a question for Professor Ito’s presentation pointing out that since the process of establishment of the Islamic religion is linked to the rise of Shinto, what background is there to myths of the coming of a holy man, including in terms of era and region. Professor Ito supplemented his presentation by explaining that sects such as Zenshu and esoteric Buddhism had revamped history.

In the question and answer session following the comments, a lively exchange of views took place between many of the participants on topics including the demarcation of Japanese historical eras, the position of Japanese history in world history, and the methods of research into Japanese history in the world. While each of the participants, based on their differing research fields, has a personal standpoint and research approach toward the conduct of research into world history, our research approach to world history was made richer and it was possible to further deepen our way of thinking about world history through the presentation and discussion of each of these research approaches during this meeting.

(Wang Wenlu)