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

1. 忠臣蔵とその現代的意味What is Chushingura to current Japan? Norio Ota York University

2. 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　Emperorof 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-)

3. 忠臣蔵に代表される価値観Values inculcated in Chushingura • 自己犠牲 self-sacrifice • 大義　 justice • 忠孝　 loyalty • 勧善懲悪　 poetic justice • 仇討ち　 vengeance • 団結力　 capacity for solidarity • 決断力　 determination • 実行力 power of execution • 一矢を報いる　 shoot back • 潔さ　 uprightness • 判官贔屓　 sympathy for a tragic hero

4. 現代日本文化に見られる社会学的現象Key notions and related sociological phenomena • 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, grouporientation, 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 ofbehaviour acceptable to the Japanese clan,adoptionand transformation of alien values,systems, religions, ... • Structure of Iki: 'chic' [appropriately stylish] • Simplicity & frugality: Wabi ‘taste for the simple and quiet’ Sabi‘elegantsimplicity’ 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', ...

5. 日本人の心Prominent characteristics of Japanese psyche • Empathy-demanding: agreement-seeking • Source of energy: enhanced by conflicts, constraints,limitations, ... • Intuitive approach: based on mutual understanding • From form to spirit: martial arts, fine arts, ... • Vulnerability complex: strength by Kiki-kan‘sense of urgency’ • Mixture of complexes : inferiority and superiority complexes, gaijincomplex, 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 responsibilityto the group • Confrontation-avoiding : Nemawashi, ... • Knowledge is power: basic operating principle, eternal seeker afterknowledge, competitive education, amount of readingand publications, ... • Transience: Mujoo, ukiyo, relativism, non-religious, ... • Volatility: when pushed too far

6. 国際化と日本Globalization and Japan • 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

7. 参考文献REFERENCES • 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.