construction and transformation of alterity in tokugawa kokugaku discourse

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MA Japanese Studies

MA Thesis Proposal

Supervisor: Kiri Paramore

Daniele Caramanna

S0980943

Thesis Proposal

Question: Are there examples of alterity in Tokugawa Kokugaku discourse? How were

alterities created and eventually transformed? How can these alterities beinterpreted?

Hypothesis:

The rise of Kokugaku movement in Tokugawa era cultural field marks the beginning

of research on the “true essence” of Japan. This research can be described as starting

with the process of creation of the cultural identity, eventually concluded by the shaping of

an imagined community and the modern nation-state. According to Susan Burns1 this is

can be described as the transition from early modern culturalism to modern nationalism.

Moreover, I will like to add that a formative aspect of this process is the use of one or many

counter models. Indeed they represents the sub-process of the identification

(ostensivization) and definition (delimitation) of the “Other”, that is to say the alterity . The

recognition of the “Other” from the prospective of globalized interaction is a fundamental

moment, in the process of modern national self formation2. Furthermore a study on the

“how” of this Alterity formation process in the early modern stage can concretely exemplify

its manifold connections with the duality inner/outer embedded in the construction of a

community identity. Thus scrutinize this process, particularly focussing on a relatively early

premodern example, will give more clues on the modern attitude and its outline. Many

scholars have maintained that Kokugaku discourse has signified a pregnant momentum in

the formation of the identity of modern Japanese nation state. while this is still

controversial, no one would deny Kokugaku instrumental role in Japanese proto-

nationalism.

1 The concept of culturalism is Duara's adaptation of Levenson's usage of the term. See Duara, Prasenjit,

“Historicizing National Identity or Who Imagines What and When” in Becoming National: A Reader , ed. Geoff Eley

and Ronald Grigor Suny, 1996, esp. 153-157

2 Ibid., 163



The hypothesis is that Kokugaku movement, partook in and influenced the

construction of this alleged Alterity by means of discourse reification. Along these lines,

this process had various slants while maintaining the very same inner/outer (内 /外 )

paradigm. The primal stage of this paradigm has been the inversion of the dominant field

discourse articulation: China as the inner, Japan as the outer. The terms of this paradigm

were civilization/barbarism ergo the inner equated to civilization and the outer to

barbarism. Therefore the paradigm terms unfolded throughout the substantial cultural field,

consequently addressing manyfold issues related to culturalism: linguistic, literary, social,

religious, political, and ethnological albeit not in a strict progressive order.

Methodology:

Assemble Japanese and Western language secondary literature on the Kokugaku

movement and its discourse. In order to disclose the conceived Alterity reified in the

discourses of Motoori Norinaga and Hirata Atsutane, I will take in exam selected

secondary literature studies both from from Japanese and Western scholarships.

Therefore, taking this Alterity filter as a working tool, I will try to trace back to the primal

sources the more significant passages out of those Kokugakusha's oeuvre, to define their

positions and give concrete evidences to my hypothesis. Then Compare Kokugaku

conceived alterity vis-à-vis their contextualized intellectual milieu’ field of discussion

competitive ones. For instance the many Buddhist, Shinto and Neo-confucian intellectuals

and scholars. I will analyze each author's contemporary debates, rebuttals, reception and

legacy. Hence organize thematically these insights with the sequent topic order: linguistic,

literary, social, political, religious, and ethnological

alterities. Eventually consider contemporary government official acts; foreigner residents in

Japan as well as non residents' perception of the Japanese attitude and cultural practices,

by means of a scrutiny of diaries, accounts, historical works, popular culture reception and

influenced perspective.

Significance:

Disclosing the conceived alterities in Kokugaku discourse will give clues on the

early modern perception of the boundaries of the community and how this boundaries



were transformed in their later instances. This has a profound significance for such

modern themes related to minority, gender, security, religion and ethnicity.

(Preliminary) Literature List:

Secondary western language sources:

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32

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