Preamble
Wakon-Kansai Japanese spirit, Chinese learning Wakon-Yosai Japanese spirit, Western learning Mishima Yukio and his suicide Bushido Chushingura 47 Ronin Wakon-Beisai Japanese spirit, American learning Mukon-Musai No spirit, no learning Wakonn-Wasai Japanese spirit, Japanese learning Wakon-Mansai Japanese spirit, all learning
Background
Wakon-Kansai Wakon-Yosai What is Wakon? Kurofune 2nd Kurofune globalization Fukuzawa Yukichi , Okakura Tenshin , Uchimura Kanzo , Nitobe Inazou , Kuki Shuzo , and Suzuki Daisetsu Translation-ism Ogyuu Sorai Yakubun-sentei Japanism Fukuzawa Yukichis isshin-nishou one body two lives
Wakon-Kansai tradition
Ito Jinsai (1627-1705) Ogyu Sorai (1666-1728) Ishida Baigan (1685-1745) Tominaga Nakamoto
principles of kajo newer research tends to look at older sources than the previous research it is impossible to harmonize various theories to get to the one truth
Suminokura Ryoi Kawamura Zuiken Tanaka Kyugu Aoki Konyo Yamawaki Toyo Maeno Ranka Sugita Genpaku Hiraga Gennai Ito Tadanobu Katsuragawa Hoshu Mogami Tokunai Otsuki Bansui Inamura Sanpaku Hoashi Banri Mamiya Rinzo Takano Choei Sakuma Shozan Seki Takakazu Wakon-Wasai
Modern period
Fukuzawa Yukichi Uchimura Kanzo Nitobe Inazo Okakura Tenshin Kuki Shuzo Suzuki Daisetsu
After WWII
Kokutai national polity Wakon-Beisai Japanese spirit, American learning Wakon - Chushingura 47 Ronin Bubble Economy Japan as No. 1 Collapse of the communist bloc Loss of self-confidence Return to Asia
Era of globalization Japans second sakoku national isolation The 9th Central Education Council general meeting
Wakon-yosai is talked about, but in the world of academia wa is pushed by yoo, and has atrophied. However, the philosophy of wa, such as irrationality and transience, is also inevitable, .
Marubeni Corporation exports the wakon-yosai approach to South Africa. Africans are making renewed efforts to harmonizing their culture with western culture, at the same time that they are arguing for the necessity of recovering African-ism and self-respect. In those efforts, Japanese culture such as wakon-yosai appears very fresh to them, and the role of Japan seems gradually to become clear. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) also considers that Japans accumulated knowledge regarding wakon-yosai should be a part of financial cooperation with the recipient countries. A more eclectic view of wakon-yosai, taking good from both, has been promoted by some schools and businesses such as Shiseido.
Critics of Wakon-Yosai
Motto: schools, universities Eclecticism between Japanese culture and western culture : Businesses Shiseido, advertisements for housing Strategy: JICA - a model strategy for under-developing countries to adopt Served to promote Japanese ultra-nationalism, and led Japan to its defeat in WWII Post-war: periodwakon-beisai Japanese spirit, American learning, mukon-musai no spirit, no learning , Wakon-mansai in the era of globalization Anime and film genre: Miyazaki Hayaos Spirited Away, The Last Samurai (a case of beikon-wasai?) - ghost of bushido ? North America - Bushido, Zen, Shintoism, Buddhism, Chanoyu, Haiku, Ikebana, Kurosawa Akira, Mishima Yukio, Tanizaki Junichiro, Abe Kobo - western scholars understanding of wakon (recycled among students) Asian scholars (China, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam) - different understandings of wakon and Japans wakon-yosai tradition Chukon-yosai, chukon-wasai, kankon-yosai, kankon-wasai ? Canadian multicultural context - first generation immigrants adopt kasai with their cultural spirit, and disseminate their newly-created identities through their communities. The Chushingura mentality, the essence of wakon was still prevalent among Japanese in Japan, and also preserved strongly among Japanese-Canadians (Ota, 2003).
Views (overseas)
Conclusion
Wakon-yosai is not a unique approach for recipient nations of advanced civilization. The problem is, however, that it does not seem to be possible to adopt foreign culture selectively, and still maintain the local spirit intact. Wakon has been constantly changing, being influenced by kansai or yosai.
In the traditional view, wakon and yosai were separate and not interactive. A more dynamic view is required in an age of globalization. Yosai always influences wakon because yosai comes with yokon. Rather than taking a passive view, it is necessary for Japanese scholars to learn yokon vigorously, as Fukuzawa suggested, and develop wakon as a dynamically and continuously changing entity. Globalization requires wakon-wasai and yokonyosai constantly interacting with each other to deepen an understanding of the world with the synergistic effects of both. I would like to conclude my presentation with a personal episode. When I read Reginald Bibbys Mosaic Madness for the first time, I was indeed surprised to find he had written almost everything that I had been thinking about Canadian multiculturalism. I disagreed only on some issues of religion. As a result, I translated this book into Japanese with my colleague in Japan; I found it amazing that two persons from entirely different backgrounds could share almost the same opinions on various issues. I regard this as a result of the more dynamic model of the wakon-yosai approach.
References
Bibby, Reginald (1990) Mosaic Madness, Stoddart. (1990) 1942 (1938) 19951995 19891989 1941 2004 http://www.bioethics.jp/naox_report1-j.html 1973 1999 1999 (1979) 1995 196317 2004 http://www.kyoto-up.gr.jp/body/sirizu/sir_1follow.html
References (cont.)
1991 Leclerc, Richard & Claude Roberge (1997) Footsteps of the Quebec Missionaries in Japan ( ) http://www.info.sophia.ac.jp/amecana/Journal/15-4.htm 2002 1989 http://www.isis.ne.jp/mnn/senya/senya0686.html 1961 (1998) 1998 196317 (1925) http://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000284/files/1735_4336.html 196317 1982 http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~jhntakna/wakon.html Nitobe Inazo (1905) Bushido http://www.sacredtexts.com/shi/bsd/index.htm
Reference (cont.)
Ota, Norio (2003) What is Chushingura to current Japan?, panel presentation, JCCC. Toronto. __________(2005) Wakon-Yosai (Japanese spirit, Western learning) and Globalization, in WHY JAPAN MATTERS!, edited by Joseph F. Kess and Helen Lansdowne, Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives, University of Victoria, B.C. 2002 http://socyo.high.hokudai.ac.jp/Journal/J10PDF/No1013.pdf 1929 1990 http://www.valdes.titech.ac.jp/~kuwako/kanphi-1-1.pdf 1988120 1988 196317 1940 1992 http://www.res.otemon.ac.jp/~yamamoto/works_2/essay_02.htm (1990)