The Formation of Imperial Authority in Modern Japan - Analysis of Offerings to the Imperial Household

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K13097
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University (2023); Otemae University (2021-2022)
• Principal Investigator: IKEDA Sanae 京都府立大学, 文学部, 准教授 (10781205)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 献上 / 皇室 / 近代天皇制 / 明治 / 献品取扱内規

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study conducted a thorough investigation of the archives held by the Imperial Household Agency Archives and Mausolea Department from the suspension of offerings in 1871 to the re-authorization of them in 1883, and clarified that offerings to the Meiji Emperor continued during this period, which was a blank period in the study of both early modern and modern Japanese history, and reconstructed the process that led to the re-official recognition of offerings. Based on the findings revealed in this work, two points was clarified : 1) the re-authorization of offerings was intended to ratify the offerings made voluntarily from below between 1871 and 1883, and to instill values that the Imperial Household Ministry particularly valued among them, and 2) this was not a revival of early modern offerings, but rather a construction of the principles of social organization appropriate to a new era.

Free Research Field

歴史学　日本近代史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

第一に、本研究はこれまで横断的研究が必ずしも十分でなかった日本近世史研究と近代史研究を架橋するものであり、双方の射程や視野を広げるものとなることが期待される。第二に、より重要な点として、分析手法の波及効果が期待できる。本研究で分析対象とした献上は、本研究の対象とする時期において包括的にまとめられた史料が存在せず、その全貌を掴むことが極めて困難であった。本研究はこのような対象を可能な限り正確に把握する方法、およびそれらを質的のみならず量的に分析する手法を考案した点において、同種の問題を抱えるその他の研究においても今後応用されるものとなるだろう。