Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: scholar

This is the online Japanese dictionary developed by Free Light Software. With our tool, you can find easily an equivalent Japanese word from English, or send queries to Japanese search engines without knowing Japanese translation. Click on a Japanese word to browse in Japanese search engines. Click on a globe icon to find the position of a locality on Japanese map (maybe take a few seconds to display). The dictionary of Japanese general terms is available at Online Japanese dictionary.
French version
Another dictionary:
Find by keyword:
Find the definition:
Browse each article:
 
Page number: 1 2

Arai Hakuseki

新井白石
alternative words: Hakuseki Arai
keywords: famous person , scholar , statesman
related topics: Edo period , Edo shogunate , Ronin , Hatamoto
related web sites: http://www2.justnet.ne.jp/~jingu/daijiten-arai-hakuseki.htm
explanation: Scholar and statesman born in 1657 in a samurai family of Chiba prefecture. He remained a ronin in his youth but continued to learn in school of Kinoshita Junan. He was engaged as a confucianist teacher by Tokugawa Ienori who would become later the 6th shogun. He remained as a confident of Ienori and carried out many reforms such as suppression of bad quality moneys to stop the inflation. He was also excellent scholars and wrote many books such as Seiyo Kibun. He died in 1725.

Fukuzawa Yukichi

福沢諭吉
alternative words: Yukichi Fukuzawa
keywords: famous person , scholar
related topics: Rangaku , Meiji period , Edo , Edo shogunate
related web sites: http://www.yukichi.ne.jp/fukuzawa/yukichi.html , http://www.izumishobo.co.jp/iode31-1a.htm , http://www.keio.ac.jp
explanation: Born in 1834 in a samurai family of Kyushu. He studied Dutch (Rangaku) from Ogata Koan in Osaka. In 1858, he went to Edo to open a Dutch school then learnt alone English language. As a member of Edo shogunate's delegation, he visited 3 times America and Europe. In 1868, he opened a western school which became later Keio university. In spite of an invitation, he refused to enter Meiji government and his book, "Gakumon no susume" became a best seller. He died in 1901.

Hayashi Razan

林羅山
alternative words: Razan Hayashi, Razan
keywords: famous person , philosophy , scholar , statesman
related topics: Edo shogunate , Tokugawa Ieyasu , Shushigaku
related web sites: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~MARUYAMA/tokugawa/razan.htm , http://www.geocities.co.jp/Bookend-Shikibu/8679/kinnseinihonnnoshisouka.html , http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~yosshie/photo/990104/yushima.htm
explanation: Born in 1583 and became first a Buddhist monk. Then, he learned Neo Confucianism (Shushigaku) from the famous confucianist, Fujiwara Seika. In 1605, he was appointed as Confucianism instructor of Tokugawa Ieyasu thanks to his impressive knowledge of Japanese and Chinese classics. By serving 4 successive shoguns, he contributed greatly to set up different laws of Tokugawa regime such as Buke shohatto and Shushigaku as official ideology of Tokugawa regime. He died 1657.

Hayashi Shihei

林子平
alternative words: Shihei Hayashi, Hayashi Shihe, Shihe Hayashi
keywords: famous person , northern territory , philosophy , scholar
related topics: Edo period , Edo shogunate , Ezochi
related web sites: http://member.nifty.ne.jp/shojishoji/history/
explanation: Ideologue of Edo period. Born in 1738 at Tokyo in a samuai family. Because of a crime committed by his father, he had been excluded from samurai's hierarchy. He studied at Nagasaki and lived in his uncle's house at Sendai. In order to get a job, he wrote many books: the most famous one is "Kaikoku heidan" which recommended sending massively colons to Hokkaido against Russian incursion. Accused of troubling the public order, his book was banned by Edo shogunate. He died in 1793.


Hiraga Gennai

平賀源内
alternative words: Gennai Hiraga
keywords: famous person , scholar , writer
related topics: Edo period , Rangaku , Edo , Tanuma Okitsugu , Ronin
related web sites: http://www.look-kagawa.com/wnn-c/wnn5/gennai.htm , http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~marusan/kankopage/kanko8.htm
explanation: Born in 1729 in a low ranking samurai family of Shikoku. He followed first Dutch and medical studies (Rangaku) at Nagasaki, then went to Edo to become a botanist. Unable to follow the rigid feudal system, he became ronin but people was really surprised by his invention such as thermometers and electric devices. He was once engaged by Tanuma Okitsugu to prospect Japanese natural resources. He also wrote some Joruri plays. After having killed someone during a dispute, he died in prison in 1779.

Honda Toshiaki

本多利明
alternative words: Toshiaki Honda
keywords: famous person , northern territory , scholar
related topics: Ezochi , Edo shogunate , Mogami Tokunai
explanation: Born in Niigata prefecture in 1743. He came to Tokyo at the age 18 to learn mathematics and astronomy. He opened his own school at the age 24. In 1801, he navigated to Hokkaido as captain. In 1808, he was asked to explore Ezochi by Edo shogunate but recommended his disciple, Mogami Tokunai. He wrote "Keisei Hisaku", a book where he recommended a state managed foreign trade and colonization of Ezochi to overcome an economic problem of Japan. He died in 1820.

Motoori Norinaga

本居宣長
alternative words: Norinaga Motoori
keywords: famous person , philosophy , scholar
related topics: Edo period , Kojiki , Kokugaku
related web sites: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~MARUYAMA/tokugawa/norinaga.htm , http://www3.justnet.ne.jp/~rinri/036.htm , http://www.ndl.go.jp/exhibit/50/html/catalog/c065.html , http://www.city.matsusaka.mie.jp/KAN/T01/MOTO.html , http://www.izumishobo.co.jp/iode27-1a.htm
explanation: Kokugaku philosopher. Born in 1730 in a rich merchant family of Ki domain. Soon his family business declined, he had to go to Kyoto to study the medicine to earn a living. After having returned back to home, he continued to study classic literature. In 1762, he met Kamo Mabuchi and became his disciple. After a long study of Kojiki, he published in 1798 Kojiki-den which affirms a supremacy of Japanese ideology over Confucianism and Buddhism. Hirata Atsutane was his disciple.

Ninomiya Kinjiro

二宮金次郎 二宮尊徳
alternative words: Ninomiya Sontoku, Kinjiro Ninomiya, Sontoku Ninomiya
keywords: famous person , scholar , statesman
related topics: Daimyo , Edo period
related web sites: http://www.okasan.shogakukan.co.jp/back_number/rensai/takeuchi/99b_p102.html
explanation: Born in 1787 in a poor peasant family of the western Kanagawa and lost both parents in childhood. But young Kinjiro succeeded to become a great land owner by hardworking abandoned fields. Due to the development of a money based economy, many daimyo of Kanto region had been over indebted so they asked an aid of Kinjiro to restore desolated villages. As a symbol of hardworking, many Japanese schools had a statue of young Kinjiro, reading a book while transporting firewood.

Noguchi Hideyo

野口英世
alternative words: Hideyo Noguchi
keywords: famous person , scholar
related topics: Meiji period
related web sites: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~TETSU/9904aa.htm , http://www.pref.fukushima.jp/list/ym961_l.html , http://www.palnetwork.com/chie/1999/05/
explanation: Japanese bacteriologist, born in 1876 in Fukushima prefecture. He worked his way through school to become a doctor. In 1900, he immigrated to America to become a research assistant at Pennsylvania university then Rockefeller institute. He won a reputation of great scientist by discovering the agent of syphilis disease in 1911. In 1928, he died in Africa during his research on yellow fever by contracting himself this disease.

Okakura Tenshin

岡倉天心 岡倉覚三
alternative words: Okakura Kakuzo, Tenshin Okakura, Kakuzo Okakura
keywords: art , famous person , scholar
related topics: Yokoyama Taikan , Hashimoto Gaho
related web sites: http://www.tenshin-museum.org
explanation: Born in 1862 in Yokohama. When he was a student at Tokyo university, he met Ernest Fenollosa and decided to restore the value of Japanese art. First he entered the education ministry and organized a protection of old Japanese art. He founded in 1890 the first Japanese art academy, Tokyo bijutsu gakko. After the eviction, he founded Nihon Bijutsuin to synthesize Japanese and western arts with Hashimoto Gaho and Yokoyama Taikan then led Asian section of Boston Museum in 1904. He died in 1913.
Page number: 1 2
14 articles extracted from postgresql database.




Text Copyright, Free Light Software