Japanese Historiography from the Asian Perspective: The Position of Buddhist Cultural Relics as a Key to Understanding

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370097
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of thought
• Research Institution: Bukkyo University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Fumiko 佛教大学, 歴史学部, 非常勤講師 (80411122)
• Research Collaborator: JI Miryong 韓国芸術綜合大学, 講師 ; TESHIMA Takahiro 韓国慶煕大学校, 助教授
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 史学史 / 日本特殊論 / 日本固有論 / 黒板勝美 / 古代像 / 人文学史 / 国史 / 教科書

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Japan, historiography began as an imitation of Chinese method and was influenced for several years by the format used in the study of Chinese classics. However, this changed with the Meiji Restoration and a further change in values occurred after Japan’s victory in the Sino-Japanese War. With the emergence of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere concept, the idea that Japan had not been influenced by China gained currency and the modern theory of Japanese exceptionalism developed.
After the Second World War, Japan was forced to revise the idea that it had not been influenced by China and the relation between the two countries was re-examined. The only way to avoid changing modern Japan’s view regarding ancient Japan was to regard the Sui and Tang dynasties as large, powerful empires. This theory was adopted in textbooks from the mid-1970s and is now firmly established in the field of Japanese history.

Free Research Field

思想史