Minoru Kawada - Origin Of Ethnography In Japan

Japanese Studies
General Editor: Yoshio Sugimoto

Images of Japanese Society: Ross E, Mouer and
Yoshio Sugimoto

An Intellectual History of Wartime Japan:
Shunsuke Tsurumi

A Cultural History of Postwar Japan:
Shunsuke Tsurumi

Beyond Computopia: Tessa Morris-Suzuki

Constructs for Understanding Japan:
Yoshio Sugimoto and Ross E. Mouer

Japanese Models of Conflict Resolution:
S. N. Eisenstadt and Eyal Ben-Ari

Changing Japanese Suburbia: Eyal Ben-Ari

The Rise of the Japanese Corporate System:
Koji Matsumoto

Science, Technology and Society in Postwar Japan:
Shigeru Nakayama

Group Psychology of the Japanese in Wartime:
Toshio Iritani

Enterprise Unionism in Japan:
Hirosuke Kawanishi

Social Psychology of Modern Japan:
Munesuke Mita

The Origin of Ethnography in Japan:
Minoru Kawada

Minoru Kawada

Translated from Japanese by
Toshiko Kishida-Ellis

Yanagita Kunio (18721962) is widely known as the founder of folklore studies in Japan, and his achievement in presenting a systematic framework for the discipline is highly valued amongst academic writings. However, many of his ideas still need to be examined, and in recent years there has been a renewal of interest in his works, especially among scholars of intellectual history. This re-evaluation of his achievements is generally attributable to the current view that Yanagita retained an independent position as an intellectual struggling to solve the various problems that dominated Japan in the years of great change from Meiji and Taisho to Showa.

The originality of Yanagitas study lies mainly in the fact that he attempted to overcome the problems caused by direct importation of European ideas into Japan by focusing upon the unique features of Japanese life. His works examine Japan from inside, that is, from a standpoint close to the actual lives of the Japanese people, their traditions and the nature of their country. Many scholars of intellectual history identify Yanagita as the first intellectual to question the measures taken in the process of Japans modernization through the analysis of the innate orientation of Japanese people, and point to him as a critic of the entire system of the Meiji establishment.

Re-evaluation of his work was prompted by the changes that took place in Japan as a result of the period of rapid economic growth: the imbalance in development of primary and secondary industry; the tremendous growth in heavy industry accompanied by the gradual decay of agriculture; the failure to establish a healthy productivity cycle; the destruction of the natural environment and traditional patterns of life; and particularly, the emergence and rapid growth of social apathy due to the lack of a firmly-established base on which to build the burgeoning supramodern popular society. Some writers describe Yanagitas study as founded upon the concept of a social transformation, designed to overcome the complications of modernization based on Western models by presenting Japan with plans for an alternative modernization. This view draws its evidence from Yanagitas theory of indigenous development, in which he emphasizes the importance of autonomous regional development, aiming for realization of an harmonious co-existence between man and nature and the banishment of alienation by communal rebirth.

Scholars have sought a rationale for resisting the social changes in contemporary Japanese society which are hastening the decomposition of an agrarian community and are seen as a threat to the fundamental lifestyle and spirit of the Japanese people. In this context, Yanagitas folklore studies are being examined in order to provide a new insight into the problems of present society, and a vision for the future of Japan.

Against these assessments of the values of Yanagitas work, however, mention must be made of the limitations some scholars perceive to exist. While admitting the significance of Yanagitas achievements, such critics claim that his essential ideology is landowner centred, and contend that it is impossible to attain a comprehensive understanding of Yanagitas theory without undertaking a thorough critique of his works.

In summary, we must conclude that contemporary views of Yanagitas achievements are far from unanimous, with opinions differing on the most fundamental points. Thus arises the need to re-examine Yanagitas discourse for the purpose of presenting a more comprehensive picture of his work. As the first step, this chapter will analyse the agro-politics which mark the starting point of Yanagitas theory, and investigate the significance of his achievement by reviewing Yanagitas construct of Japanese society.