모토오리 노리나가(本居宣長) ‘일본주의’ 탄생의 조건과 과정

Abstract

Japan-centrism is seeing Japan as the center of the world, and claiming that Japan is superior to other countries. This form of Japan-centrism has developed into various shapes and forms from the ancient era throughout the medieval period until early modern ages, and was presented in the Kokugaku by Motoori Norinaga in late early modern ages. In this writing, it is seen that a systematic Japan-centrism was born under Norinaga’s Kokugaku, examining the various conditions and process during the period beginning with the Tokugawa Shogunate until the birth of Norinaga’s Kokugaku. First and foremost, the process at which Tokugawa Japan underwent isolation from the East Asian international order is dealt along with the follow-up of trans-Sinocentric policies. This type of geographical condition was what created the typical Japan-centrism. Secondly, views upon how Neo-Confucianism, accommodated by Joseon and China after the Japanese invasion of Joseon in1592, was transfigured and set back under the Japanese socio-political circumstances. The setback of Neo- Confucianism functioned as a condition to present the Japanese civilization theory as secession to the universal East Asian ideology. Third, unlike Neo-Confucianism that suppresses private desires while aspiring a world of public natural laws, early modern Tokugawa literature acknowledges personal desires and pursues its possession. This indicates that these values have been an important course of events in creating Japan-centrism. Fourth, there has never been a creation of any institution or edification of Neo-Confucianism but the Tokugawa political system has prevailed with pacifism. The situation is linked with the rise of the Emperor which is described as the accelerating force of Japan-centrism.