The intellectual exchange between two pro-American intellectuals: Japanese Asakawa Kan'ichi and Chinese Hu Shih

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26770034
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: History of thought
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Muto Shutaro 新潟大学, 人文社会・教育科学系, 准教授 (10612913)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 朝河貫一 / 胡適 / 封建 / 民主

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through this project, I examined the intellectual exchange between two pro-American intellectuals: Japanese Asakawa Kan’ichi and Chinese Hu Shih.
Asakawa and Hu had thus made remarkable achievements in each academic field. Although Asakawa and Hu were originally very hesitant to involve in politics, they were ready to take action or express their opinions overseas to protect national interests in cases of national crisis.
It is interesting to note that Asakawa and Hu had accidentally met on the way to their own countries in June 1917. It can be confirmed from their recently discovered diary and letters that Asakawa and Hu formed lasting relationships afterwards. These two closely-tied men were ironically forced to stand in opposition on policies toward the US during the second Sino-Japanese war. This project clarified the relationships between Asakawa Kan’ichi and Hu Shih, shedding new light on Japan-China historical relations of the first half of the 20th century.

Free Research Field

思想史