근대일본의 서양담론과 政敎社

Meiji Japan’s discourse on the occident and the seikyosha

One of the great divides in the modern world is that of the Orient and the Occident. Modern Japanese were no exception in accepting the category of the Orient and the Occident. However, their position in that division was not always fixed. While seeking to become a member of the Occident, they could not but acknowledge their ties with the Orient. Throughout the course of modern history, Japan’s position in that divide gradually moved from the former to the latter. The turning point was the early 1890s when intellectuals groups such as the Miyusha and the Seikyosha led the intellectual directions of the Japanese society. In particular, the Seikyosha played a key role in redefining the meaning of the Orient by emphasizing Japan’s traditional values and identities through its nationalistic views. However, the Seikyosha’s emphasis on the traditional and national values should be put in perspective. Unlike the nationalists in the 1930s, its members fully appreciated the merits of Western values and examples. Not only that, their reevaluations of Japanese values were discussed within the boundary of Western civilization. In short, despite some changes, Japan’s discourse on the Occident of the early Meiji years still remained influential and played a key part in the intellectual and ideological formations of the Seikyosha members in the early 1890s.