忠臣蔵とその現代的意味 What is Chushingura to current

忠臣蔵とその現代的意味
What is Chushingura to current Japan?
Norio Ota
York University
忠臣蔵伝説
Chushingura Legend
Confucian scholars’ debate
室鳩巣 Muro Kyuusoo ｢赤穂義人録」赤穂義士 loyal retainer
荻生徂徠 Ogyuu Sorai 「赤穂四十六士論｣「徂徠擬律書」
Joruri and Kabuki
浄瑠璃｢碁盤太平記｣
歌舞伎｢仮名手本忠臣蔵｣
Over 100 performances up to the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate
独参湯 restorative
山東京伝「忠臣水滸伝」
明治天皇 Emperor of Meiji 明治元年１８６８泉岳寺へ特使
「汝良雄等、固ク主従之義を執リ、仇ヲ復シテ法ニ死ス。百世ノ下、人ヲシテ感奮興起セシム。朕深ク嘉賞ス。」
福沢諭吉「学問のすゝめ」
「世にこれを赤穂の義士と唱へり。大なる間違ならずや。」「其形は美に似たれども其実は世に益することなし」
教育勅語 Imperial Edict on Education
日露戦争 Russo-Japanese War
武士道の高揚 Bushido 井上哲次郎・新渡戸稲造
乃木希典の殉死 General Nogi’s self-immolation on the death of the Emperor of Meiji
浪花節(浪曲) Naniwabushi reciting
中央義士会 Central Association of Loyal Retainers １９１５
尋常小学国史 primary school history textbook 「大石良雄」１９２０
長谷川如是閑 Hasegawa Nyozekan 「唯物史観赤穂義士」１９３１
田村栄太郎 Tamura Eitaro ｢忠臣蔵物語」１９３４｢裏返し忠臣蔵」１９４７
GHQ’s ban on performances based on vengeance
Films (1907-)
忠臣蔵に代表される価値観
Values inculcated in Chushingura
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自己犠牲
大義
忠孝
勧善懲悪
仇討ち
団結力
決断力
実行力
一矢を報いる
潔さ
判官贔屓
self-sacrifice
justice
loyalty
poetic justice
vengeance
capacity for solidarity
determination
power of execution
shoot back
uprightness
sympathy for a tragic hero
現代日本文化に見られる社会学的現象
Key notions and related sociological phenomena
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Culture of Shame
: Haji no bunka, fear of losing face, high self-esteem, vindictive, ...
Vertical society
: Tate-shakai, hierarchical structure, junior-senior relationship, ｌoyalty, ...
Gratitude & obligation : On, GiriPatronage & submission : Oyabun-Kobun 'boss-henchmen‘
Loyalty & filial piety
: Chuu-Koo
Dependency syndrome : Amae
Extended family
: Ie, in-group identity, company man, ...
Interdependence
: Kanjin-shugi, mutual trust, group orientation, consensus-seeking (least
common-denominator approach), lack of individualism, regimentation, conformism, ...
Public eye
: Seken 'people, world, society‘
Proper behaviour
: Chanto 'properly‘
Equal opportunity
: standardization, middle-class identity, ...
Culture of jealousy
: avoid jealousy by being humble and inconspicuous
Culture of octopus trap : Takotsubo-Bunka, sectionalism, ethnocentrism, ...
Japanism
: Nihonkyoo, ancestor worship, code of behaviour acceptable to the Japanese
clan, adoption and transformation of alien values, systems, religions, ...
Structure of Iki
: 'chic' [appropriately stylish]
Simplicity & frugality
: Wabi ‘taste for the simple and quiet’ Sabi ‘elegant simplicity’ Shibumi‘ ’severity‘
Intuitive communication: Haragei ‘gut approach’
Prearrangement
: Nemawashi 'root-binding' Ringisei 'rubber-stamping‘
Single-visioned
: monolithic view
Pragmatism
: adaptability
Escapism
: catharsis
Discrimination
: Capital-city snobbery, Koreans, Buraku-min 'untouchables', ...
日本人の心
Prominent characteristics of Japanese psyche
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Empathy-demanding
Source of energy
Intuitive approach
From form to spirit
Vulnerability complex
Mixture of complexes
: agreement-seeking
: enhanced by conflicts, constraints, limitations, ...
: based on mutual understanding
: martial arts, fine arts, ...
: strength by Kiki-kan ‘sense of urgency’
: inferiority and superiority complexes, gaijin complex,
ethnocentrism, ...
Mentor-seeking
: Oyabun-Kobun, Sensei, Senpai 'senior', ...
Reciprocal dependency : Amae, On, Giri, Okaeshi 'return', ...
Guilt-trip tactics
: imposing guilt on others
Clan-oriented
: overriding importance of individual's responsibility to
the group
Confrontation-avoiding : Nemawashi, ...
Knowledge is power
: basic operating principle, eternal seeker after knowledge,
competitive education, amount of reading and
publications, ...
Transience
: Mujoo, ukiyo, relativism, non-religious, ...
Volatility
: when pushed too far
国際化と日本
Globalization and Japan
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国民的物語 national epic
Japan 忠臣蔵 China 三国志演義 Sanguozhi Yanyi
単視眼的 single-visioned to 複視眼的 multiple-visioned
情緒的 sentimental, emotional to 現実的･客観的 realistic,
objective
内向的 introversive to 外向的 extroversive
二極的 bipolar to 多極的 multi-polar
集団的 groupism to 個人的 individualism
刹那的 transient to 恒常的 constant
美感覚儚さ ephemeral to 偏在 ubiquity
ひ弱な花日本 fragile flower Japan
諦め resignation to 強かさ unyielding
参考文献
REFERENCES
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Benedict, Ruth (1946) The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese
Culture, Boston.
Christopher, Robert C. (1984) The Japanese Mind, Pan.
「忠臣蔵について」 http://www.page.sannet.ne.jp/f-yosida/danjiri/tyuusing.htm
「『忠臣蔵の』のもうひとつの読み方」 http://www.5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~kabusk/dentoh12.htm
忠臣蔵フィルモグラフィー http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~uy7k-ymst/chusingura/chufilm.htm
Gakken (1985) Japan as It Is, Gakken.
Hall, J.K. & R.K. Beardsley (1965) Twelve Doors to Japan, McGraw-Hill.
Hall, Edward T. & Mildred Reed Hall (1987) Hidden Differences: Doing Business with the Japanese,
New York: Anchor Press.
Kahn, H. & T. Pepper (1980) The Japanese Challenge, William Morrow and company.
松島栄一(1964)「忠臣蔵－その成立と展開」東京:岩波書店
元田時雄（１９９８）｢忠臣蔵と三国志」 http://www.interq.or.jp/venus/motoda/samukoku.html
Nakane, Chie (1970) Japanese Society, Penguin.
Reischauer, Edwin O. (1974) Japan: The Story of a Nation, A. Knopf.
Sakamoto, Nancy & Naotsuka, Reiko (1982) Polite Fictions: Why Japanese and Americans seem
rude to each other, Tokyo: Kinseido.
Teidemann, A.E. (ed.)(1974) An Introduction to Japanese Civilization, Columbia Univ, Press.
Vogel, Ezra (1979) Japan as No. 1, Harvard Univ. Press.

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