The adoption of Confucianism in medieval Japan -focusing on The Contents of the 99 Codes of Conduct of Takeda Nobushige
Date Issued
2012
Date
2012
Author(s)
Lin, Shu-I
Abstract
During the Kamakura period, due to the rise of the samurai government, samurais gained leading roles in the political rulings of medieval Japan. Samurais, as new elites, began to compose family precepts for the upbringing and ruling of their offsprings and vassals. In the Sengoku period, Japan went through severe social-political changes, causing more and more samurais to compose family precepts, hoping to guide their family through the difficult political environment. Meanwhile, the “Rinzai school” Buddism, a branch of the Zen sect of Buddhism, was introduced to Japan as “New Buddism” during the Kamakura period. The Rinzai school soon constructed the main beliefs in medieval Bushido, and was widely embraced by samurais. At that time, the mainstream discipline followed by Japanese monks was actually a mixture of Confucianism and Buddism. In the Sengoku period, samurais began to realize the pragmatical importance of the culturing of honor and virtue. Many of them then studied under Zen monks for the teachings of Confucianism and Buddism. Among all family precepts from the Sengoku period, the one most influenced by Confucianism was "The 99 codes of conduct of Takeda Nobushige," written by Takeda Nobushige, brother of the leader of the Takeda clan in Kai Province, Takeda Shingen (Harunobu).
This thesis explores the medieval Japanese interpretation of Confucianism by discussing the thoughts and beliefs of the Kai-Takeda brothers, with focuses on Takeda Shingen’s understanding of Chinese culture and the contents of The 99 codes of conduct of Takeda Nobushige. Quotes from the Analects of Confucius in “The 99 codes” were compared with the main teachings of Takeda Nobushige. Differences between Takeda Nobushige’s interpretation of the Analects of Confucius and its original meanings, along with the contents of Takeda’s teaching, reflect the Confucian influence on the Kai-Takeda clan. When placed in the social-political background of the Sengoku period, the thoughts and beliefs of the Takeda brothers indicate the assertive attitute samurais of the Sengoku period hold towards adopting Confucianism.
Subjects
Kai-Takeda clan
family precepts
Confucianism
Rinzai
pragmatism
Type
thesis
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