A Study of Japanese Frontier Poetry Written in Classical Chinese Language from the Late Edo to the Meiji Era

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00339
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02010:Japanese literature-related
• Research Institution: Hakodate National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Tomari Ko 函館工業高等専門学校, 一般系, 教授 (10390379)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 日本漢詩 / アイヌ / 北方警備（蝦夷勤番） / 北方辺塞詩

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I named the Chinese traditional poems composed in Ezo during the late Edo era as “Ezo-Kanshi”, which were composed about its own customs of Ezo, and I classified them according to the natural conditions of Ezo, the geopolitical conditions of the frontier, and the relationship with the Ainu, in order to explore whether a subgenre called “Northern Frontier Poetry”could be foregrounded. I explored the question of whether it would be possible to foreground the subgenre of Northern Frontier Poetry.From this perspective, we were able to identify the following conditions for Northern Frontier Poetry.1Poetry born from the relationship with Ainu.2Poetry about unique geography, nature, and weather.3Poetry reflecting frontier and colonial characteristics.4Farewell poem for people traveling to Ezo.Based on the above premise and conclusions, we collected and deciphered as many poems as possible that could be called Northern Frontier Poems, and clarified their poetic spirit.

Free Research Field

日本漢詩

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで日本漢詩の世界においては、辺境（辺塞）経験のない日本人が詠んだ実感の乏しい辺塞詩しか知られていなかった。その状況を、ロシアの南下により辺境化した蝦夷地を訪れた役人、探検家、辺境警備のための辺塞を築いて警備にあたった松前藩及び東北諸藩の武士といった知識階級が詠んだ詩について、一定の条件下で「北方辺塞詩」と名付け、日本漢詩の一（いち）ジャンルとして前景化したことが学術的意義である。
また社会的意義としては、各地に眠る関連の手稿本を「再発見」し、一部世に紹介できたことである。また論文化したものについては、地域の図書館にも贈呈したので、本研究は地域の歴史を知る一助ともなっている。