2013 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
The Reproduction of Visible Confucian Forms in 17th Century Japan as a Case of Transculturation
| Project/Area Number |
25370747
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
CHARD Robert 東京大学, 東洋文化研究所, 客員教授 (30571492)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
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| Keywords | Confucianism / Ritual |
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| Research Abstract |
In the first year of this research project on the visible forms of Confucianism in Japan during the 17th century, the emphasis has been on: 1. clarifying the original Chinese canonical sources on ritual forms, above all the Yili, and explanatory texts and practical manuals derived from it, of which the most influential in 17th-century Japan was the ‘Family Rituals’ (Zhuzi jiali) of Zhu Xi (1130-1200), backed up by Zhu Xi's more scholastic commentary Yili jingzhuan tongjie; and 2. examining Japan-related sources, including the writings of the Chinese emigre Zhu Shunshui on the implementation of Confucian ritual, and materials related to Japanese Confucians in Kyushu, Mito, and Kaga with whom Zhu worked. Through these sources it is possible to clarify the patterns of adoption and transmission of visible Confucian ritual in Japan, which shows a strong emphasis on visible forms, for example Confucius temples, sacrificial rituals, Confucian dress, funeral ritual, and mourning garments. Japanese Confucians sought extensive advice from Zhu on the detailed technicalities of such ritual forms, yet the results of this project research so far suggest that in the end the implementation of Zhu's various plans was usually only partial at best, reflecting a wider pattern of selective transmission, or transculturation. The results from the first project year have so far been publicly disseminated in the form of one published article and four conference presentations during the year.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The research project so far has been going according to plan, particularly in uncovering materials from the Japanese side (relating to Yanagawa, Mito, and Kaga domains) specifically dealing with the adoption of Confucian ritual in the 17th century. These have revealed details on how circumstances of the Japanese environment led to modification and often attenuation in the adoption of Confucian ritual forms. This phenomenon cannot be understood without considering the visuality of the ritual forms, and the very different ways in which this operated in China and Japan. The concept of transculturation - as opposed to acculturation - has been particularly helpful to understanding the nature of Japanese Confucianism during the 17th century.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The project will continue along the lines established in the first year. More work is needed to clarify the Chinese sources taken as authoritative by Japanese rulers and their Confucian scholars, and the nature of their implementation of these sources. The ‘Family Rituals’ of Zhu Xi was the preeminent guide to Confucian ritual in 17th-century Japan, but Zhu Shunshui and Japanese Confucians deemed it insufficiently comprehensive for all levels of society, and so needed to formulate further guides of their own. Wider investigation of archival documents from around Japan should reveal more about the formulation of ritual in different domains. This will help clarify the dynamics which drove the formulation of Confucian ritual forms in Japan, and how these dynamics differed from those of China.
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| Expenditure Plans for the Next FY Research Funding |
There was an unspent balance in the funds allocated for the first project year, originally intended for the purchase of books related to Japanese Confucianism in the 17th century. These funds were not spent because the books were out of stock and unavailable.
These books will become available again during the second year of the project, and will be purchased in accordance with the original plan. In addition, the research plan for the second year includes visits to collect historical materials from regions in Japan where Confucian ritual forms were implemented during the early Edo period, which will be used to advance the understanding of Confucian culture in 17th-century Japan; the research results arising from this will be disseminated publicly as they develop.
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