Confucism

     I attended a special lecture at Matsuyama Univ.
     The topic was a Korean Confucist, Kanhan, who had brought Confucism to Japan in 1597. He was captured by the Japanese sea forces and confined for ten months to Ozu city, which is near my hometown. After that he was transfered to Kyoto which was the capital area in those days. He met the most sophisticated people there.  He enlarged the number of his friends and lots of people got to show him deep respect. He taught them the fundamentals of Confucism and wrote some textbooks.  Those books were the sourcebook which was passed down the generations. After the death of the absolute ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, he got his freedom and could go back to Korea.
     Confucism was a backbone of the nation in the Edo era and in modern Japan.
     In 1868, the last Edo Shogun returned political power to the Emperor, and the Emperor began to rule once again. Then feudal policies such as the land-owning and class systems were abolished and a new constitution was established.
     This was a bloodless revolution without any bleeding.  There is no revolution in the world that can rival it. I suppose this bloodless revolution could be achieved because of the confucian ethic that every Japanese kept in their heart.
     The post world war 2 reconstruction in Japan was successful. I believe this was because of the confucian values which every Japanese had. The U.S.President Bush said, Iraq and Japan are similar, and so Iraq can make a recovery like Japan. He doesn't know the spiritual difference between Iraq and Japan. I was mad at him after hearing him tell such a silly thing. He is nothing more. Our Japanese had been getting kind of an education of the confucian ethic for about four centuries.
     Confucism is a backbone of Japan again. I'm ashamed I didn't know how Confucism was born in Japan at all. Besides, such a great historical event had something to do with my prefecture "Ehime".
     There are lots of pending issues between Korea and Japan. However, I hope both countries get close to each other from the bottom of my heart. We are alike. I really felt so today. 

儒教

松山大学の特別講演を聴いた。演題は韓国人儒教学者「姜沆」。１５９７年に日本へ儒教を伝えたとされる人物である。秀吉の朝鮮出兵の際に囚われの身となり日本へ連れてこられ、大洲市に幽閉された。その後、京都へ移送され日本の文化人と交流を深め、多くの日本人から尊敬のまなざしで見られるようになる。彼は日本人に儒教を教え、書物も書き残している。これはその後、何代にもわたって伝わっている。秀吉の死後、自由を得て本国に帰国した。

儒教は江戸時代そして現在の日本でも国家の屋台骨となっている。１８６８年、最後の将軍が皇室へ政権を返した。明治維新と呼ばれるこの改革は全くの無血革命であった。世界に類を見ないもので、日本人の心に儒教の教えが生きていたためだったと考えられる。

日本の戦後復興はうまくいった。これもまた日本の持っていた儒教的な価値観によるものだろうと思っている。米国ブッシュ大統領が、日本とイラクは似ている、だからイラクも日本のように解放、改革できるといった。アホである。何世紀もにわたり、安定した平和な暮らしの中で、儒教の教えに浸かっていた我々日本人をイラク国民と一緒にしてもらっては困る。

重ねて言うが儒教は日本の精神である。この儒教がどのようにして日本で始まったのか、知らずにいたことが恥ずかしい。ましてやこの歴史的な事件が我が郷土に関係していたとは。