Early Modern Latin Literature on Japan - A Study on its Context of Production and Unedited Manuscripts

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00503
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02040:European literature-related
• Research Institution: Otsuma Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Akihiko 大妻女子大学, 比較文化学部, 教授 (60612025)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 近世ラテン語文学 / イエズス会劇 / キリシタン文化学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The major outcome of this research project was the publication of the book Japan on the Jesuit Stage: Two 17th-Century Latin Plays with Translation and Commentary. In this book, the PI gave a philologically accurate edition of two Latin plays on Japanese subjects, one performed in Koblenz in 1625 and the other produced in Munich in 1665. The edition contains not only the original Latin texts but and English translation as well as introduction and commentary also in English. In the introduction and commentary, the PI sketched the historical, political, social as well as educational and cultural contexts in which the plays were produced. There is good reason to hope that the edition will be a precursor to more studies not only on drama but Latin works in other genres on Japanese subjects, a great number of which remain to be investigated. The PI also published several articles and gave academic presentations during the research period.

Free Research Field

西洋古典学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

この研究により、17～18世紀に欧州を中心として当時の教養語であったラテン語で作成された文献群の中で日本宣教がどのように受容され、再拡散されていったのか、学会未見の一時文献2点を中心として詳細に検証することができた。近世ラテン語文学はいわゆる異教古典の伝統を色濃く引き継ぎながらも、キリスト教化した西欧を中心に作成され読み継がれていった多様性に満ちた伝統である。この近年再度注目をあびている伝統の中に、古代地中海からも西欧からも遠く離れた日本の情報がどのように受容されたのかを調査することは今後もヨーロッパの多様性および日本との歴史的繋がりを理解するため重要であると考えられる。