2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
From Transculturation to Culture-Specific Ethics: The Implementation of Confucian Ritual Forms in 19th Century Japan
| Project/Area Number |
19K00937
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| Research Institution | The Toyo Bunko |
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Principal Investigator |
Chard Robert 公益財団法人東洋文庫, 研究部, 研究員 (30571492)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | Confucianism / Ritual |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The focus of this research is the deployment of Confucian symbols in the education system of early modern Japan. After the Bakufu took direct control of the Shoheizaka Gakumonjo school at the Yushima Seido temple in the late Edo period, domain schools continued the material culture of the temple-school complex, such as the Sekiten and other related rites, but at the same time these visible forms underwent change as Bakufu demands on education and new contact with the outside world created pressure to change educational goals. The aim of the current research project is to examine characteristics of the changing role of education in the early modern period through research on the visible cultural displays such as temples and rituals.
In the third year of this research project, the emphasis has remained on collection and analysis of primary source materials from domain schools that shed light on the Confucius temples, Sekiten rituals, and their role in the education system. Questions to be addressed include the motivations for maintaining the visible trappings of the temple-school structure, the educational aims of the schools, ideas on how human talent should be developed, and the social backgrounds of those studying at the schools. A central question to be addressed is why so much effort went into maintaining the various visible trappings of the school-temple system under the varied circumstances in different schools. The current research makes a contribution not only in the fields of educational history and East Asian history but also to world cultural history more widely.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
In the previous year of the project, the coronavirus outbreak meant postponement in the planned investigations in regions around Japan. In the current year the continuing pandemic conditions have continued, with restrictions on domestic and international travel and the closure of libraries and archives resulting in further delays in field research. As a result, the main project to collect textual evidence on Confucian ritual forms in the late Edo period, when the numbers of domain schools suddenly increased in conjunction with the renewal of the Shoheizaka Gakumonjo school, has been substantially delayed.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The project will continue along the lines planned, building on the foundation of the work done so far. The collection of archival documents relating to major domain schools around Japan will continue to be progressed, and with this the further investigation of the forms of Confucian learning, and education in late Edo domain schools more widely. The results of this research will continue to be disseminated to the public in stages as it is completed.
More precisely, the research will consist of field visits to archives and libraries in Japan and internationally, to collect materials on the material culture of the temple-school complex, such as the Sekiten and other related rites, to analyze the material collected, and disseminate the results domestically and internationally through academic publications and conference presentations.
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| Causes of Carryover |
A proportion of the funds allocated for the year have remained unspent as a result of the continuing coronavirus pandemic, which reduced the amount of travel and library and archive research undertaken. The unspent funds will be reallocated to the next year.
The postponed research activity will be completed in the next year as much as conditions permit: this will consist of field visits to archives and libraries in Japan and internationally, to collect materials on the material culture of the temple-school complex, such as the Sekiten and other related rites, analyze the material, and disseminate the results domestically and internationally through academic publications and conference presentations.
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Research Products
(1 results)
