Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: philosophy

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Abe no Seimei

安部晴明
alternative words: Abeno Seimei, Abe Seimei, Abenoseimei
keywords: famous person , mystery , philosophy
related topics: Onmyodo , Heian period , Konjaku monogatari
related web sites: http://kodansha.cplaza.ne.jp/abeseimeijinja/ , http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand/1608/kotenindex.html , http://www.people.or.jp/~seimei/
explanation: The most famous specialist of onmyodo in Heian period. Born in 921 and died in 1005. A legend says that his mother would be a fox (fox was considered an animal having magical power in Japan). First he learned the astrology from Kamono Tadayuki and became a doctor of onmyodo attached to the imperial court. His exploits of predicting natural catastrophes and divination are abundantly cited in Konjaku monogatari.

Bushido

武士道
alternative words: Bushi do, Way of warrior, Bushido code
keywords: philosophy
related topics: Kamakura shogunate , Edo shogunate , Hagakure , Samurai , Harakiri
related web sites: http://www.pdfworld.co.jp/bushidou/
explanation: Initially all the samurai leaders claimed kin to prestigious families and there was little place for ethical code. When Kamakur shogunate collapsed and the treason against their superiors (Gekokujo) became frequent, people felt the need of a ethical code which dictates an absolute loyalty besides the force and courage. When a peace period arrived, Edo shogunate adopted Confucianism as an official doctrine and the ethical code was rather focused on a social order and samurai as its responsible.

Fusui

風水 風水学
alternative words: Feng shui, Fuusui, Fusuigaku, Fu sui
keywords: architecture , china , mystery , philosophy
related topics: Onmyodo , In-yo go-gyo setsu
related web sites: http://www2.odn.ne.jp/fengshui/index/ , http://www.mine.ne.jp/yasuyuki/fusui/ , http://www.jsdi.or.jp/~nao/ , http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~matchi/
explanation: Invented in China 3000 years ago as an art to choose the locality of a capital, it became soon an art to choose the locality of any buildings and their architecture. Fusui had known a tremendous development in China and other Asian nations by associating other Chinese sciences such as In-yo go-gyo setsu because Fusui was considered to influence human destiny. Recently Fusui has been recognized even by scientific community because of the importance of an environment on human behaviors.

Hagakure

葉隠 葉隠聞書 葉隠論語 鍋島論語
alternative words: Hagakure kikigaki, Hagakure rongo, Nabeshima rongo, Way of samurai
keywords: book , philosophy
related topics: Edo period , Samurai , Bushido
related web sites: http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~yukio/rekishi/reindex.htm
explanation: Book written by Tashiro Tsuramoto, a samurai of Saga domain in north Kyushu, from the speech of Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a retired samurai. Containing 11 volumes, it was completed in 1716. It resumes, through 1300 short anecdotes, the daily mental attitude that samurai of Saga should have. The famous expression, "Bushido (samurai's way) is a way of dying" is on this book.

Hayashi Razan

林羅山
alternative words: Razan Hayashi, Razan
keywords: famous person , philosophy , scholar , statesman
related topics: Edo shogunate , Tokugawa Ieyasu , Shushigaku
related web sites: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~MARUYAMA/tokugawa/razan.htm , http://www.geocities.co.jp/Bookend-Shikibu/8679/kinnseinihonnnoshisouka.html , http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~yosshie/photo/990104/yushima.htm
explanation: Born in 1583 and became first a Buddhist monk. Then, he learned Neo Confucianism (Shushigaku) from the famous confucianist, Fujiwara Seika. In 1605, he was appointed as Confucianism instructor of Tokugawa Ieyasu thanks to his impressive knowledge of Japanese and Chinese classics. By serving 4 successive shoguns, he contributed greatly to set up different laws of Tokugawa regime such as Buke shohatto and Shushigaku as official ideology of Tokugawa regime. He died 1657.

Hayashi Shihei

林子平
alternative words: Shihei Hayashi, Hayashi Shihe, Shihe Hayashi
keywords: famous person , northern territory , philosophy , scholar
related topics: Edo period , Edo shogunate , Ezochi
related web sites: http://member.nifty.ne.jp/shojishoji/history/
explanation: Ideologue of Edo period. Born in 1738 at Tokyo in a samuai family. Because of a crime committed by his father, he had been excluded from samurai's hierarchy. He studied at Nagasaki and lived in his uncle's house at Sendai. In order to get a job, he wrote many books: the most famous one is "Kaikoku heidan" which recommended sending massively colons to Hokkaido against Russian incursion. Accused of troubling the public order, his book was banned by Edo shogunate. He died in 1793.

In-yo go-gyo setsu

陰陽五行説
alternative words: Inyo gogyo setsu, Inyogogyosetsu, On-yo go-gyo setsu, Onyo gogyo setsu, Onyogogyosetsu
keywords: china , mystery , philosophy
related topics: Onmyodo , Asuka period , Fusui
explanation: Philosophy of Chinese origin. Inyo doctrine (Inyo setsu) interprets every thing with a positive-negative opposition like female-male or day-night, while Gogyo doctrine (Gogyo setsu) considers the Universe made with 5 basic elements (tree, fire, soil, metal and water) and their transitions. These 2 initially distinct doctrines had been merged to form Inyo-gogyo doctrine (Inyo gogyo setsu). It had arrived to Japan as a part of Onmyodo astrology during Asuka period.

Kokugaku

国学
alternative words: Kokugaku school, Koku-gaku, Koku gaku, National learning, Japanese national learning
keywords: philosophy , school , shintoism
related topics: Motoori Norinaga , Edo period , Shintoism , Manyoshu , Kojiki
related web sites: http://www3.justnet.ne.jp/~rinri/036.htm
explanation: Beginning with an innocent study of Japanese classics such as Manyoshu and Kojiki by Kamo Mabuchi and Motoori Norinaga, in order to justify a lack of Japanese ideology in face to well structured foreign disciplines such as Confucianism and Buddhism, it became more radical with the works of Hirata Atsutane. It formed a core of ideological arm when Japanese began to feel pressures of westerners at the end of Edo period, especially among samurai of Mito domain.

Motoori Norinaga

本居宣長
alternative words: Norinaga Motoori
keywords: famous person , philosophy , scholar
related topics: Edo period , Kojiki , Kokugaku
related web sites: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~MARUYAMA/tokugawa/norinaga.htm , http://www3.justnet.ne.jp/~rinri/036.htm , http://www.ndl.go.jp/exhibit/50/html/catalog/c065.html , http://www.city.matsusaka.mie.jp/KAN/T01/MOTO.html , http://www.izumishobo.co.jp/iode27-1a.htm
explanation: Kokugaku philosopher. Born in 1730 in a rich merchant family of Ki domain. Soon his family business declined, he had to go to Kyoto to study the medicine to earn a living. After having returned back to home, he continued to study classic literature. In 1762, he met Kamo Mabuchi and became his disciple. After a long study of Kojiki, he published in 1798 Kojiki-den which affirms a supremacy of Japanese ideology over Confucianism and Buddhism. Hirata Atsutane was his disciple.

Onmyodo

陰陽道 陰陽道
alternative words: Onmyo-do, Onmyo do, Onmyoudo, Onmyou-do, Onmyou do
keywords: china , mystery , ninja , philosophy , religion
related topics: In-yo go-gyo setsu , Abe no Seimei , Heian period , Ninjutsu , Oni , Fusui
related web sites: http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~skydog/ , http://www.people.or.jp/~seimei/
explanation: Astrology of Chinese origin. It interprets every human activity and fate with an astrology based on Inyo gogyo setsu It had been introduced into Japan in the 7th century by Buddhist priests, but unable to build complex astrological apparatus, only the divination branch had known a significant development. After Heian period, it has been degenerated to simple popular superstitions. Abeno Seimei (921-1005) is the most famous specialist of this discipline.

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