Talks About Teachings of the Past. Translation of the First Part of Kaiho Seiryô's Keiko Dan with a Short Introduction
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Talks about Teachings of the Past Translation of the First Part of Kaiho Seiryô’s Keiko dan with a Short Introduction Michael Kinski, Kyôto Among the intellectual figures of the late Edo period Kaiho Seiryô uȚŶɟ (1755–1817) is one of those depicted as “pioneers” Žªĥ (senku sha) of the development leading to Japan’s often debated “modernization” ¨ơf (kindai ka).1 This epithet is borne out in a number of articles that turn on Seiryô as an outstanding thinker of “political economy” ¼ũ~ (keisei gaku).2 Minamoto Ryôen Ìɚɵ as well as Tsukatani Akihiro ƽƩãá and Kuranami Seiji Ɠ ȕŐĝ present him as a ‘rationalist’ who reflected empirical experiences, and they identify those elements of thought in his works that in their interpre- tation make him into a forerunner of Japanese “modernity” ¨ơ (kindai).3 Expressions like “pioneer”, “modernization”, or “rationalist” have become controversial and cannot be used in the same insouciant way as twenty years ago. However, that in their portrayal of Seiryô Japanese scholars of that time made use of such denominations bespeaks his importance for them as someone who supposedly discarded leading positions of his day sanctified by tradition4 and therefore, could well be incorporated into the search for indigenous roots of Japan’s development since the Meiji period popular until not so long ago. This is not the place for discussing the benefits or drawbacks of delineating 1MINAMOTO: 1971. 2 Whereas in traditional Confucianism good government was an immediate result of personal ethical cultivation, keisei gaku, rendered as “political economy” here, makes the methods of government its theme and sets off the norms that pertain to the individual’s ethical disposition and behaviour from its subject clearly. Literally keisei or keisei saimin ¼ũù ȱ means “to rule the world and help the people”. Cf. Dazai Shundai’s ƟøĿƢ (1680–1747) definition in his Records of Political Economy ¼ùɫ (Keizai roku). NKT, vol. 9: 394. 3MINAMOTO: 1971: 5–84; TSUKATANI: 1970: 421–42; KURANAMI: 1970: 481–500; 1990. 4KOJIMA: 1987: 84. Japonica Humboldtiana 1 (1997) 116 Michael Kinski history according to a theory of modernity. But even if such an approach is left aside that does not diminish Seiryô’s appeal as an intellectual who laboured to find an autonomous point of view from where he could analyze the problems of the society he lived in. Nevertheless, Seiryô attracted less attention than other intellectuals of the Edo period. This holds true in Japan as well as outside. There have only been a few articles in English touching on Seiryô, and no extensive translation of his writings has been published.5 Life Seiryô was born6 in Edo, the eldest son of Tsunoda Shizaemon |NJĎöX Ƚ, known also by his pseudonym Seikei Ŷ¹. Seiryô’s family counted among the leading retainers of the Aoyama7 house, his father’s status being that of “house elder”.8 However, his father became involved in a power struggle over the reform of the domain’s finances and eventually had to retire from family headship and from active life. Although Seiryô was merely two years old at the time, he was made head of the Tsunoda family. Two years later, the father requested that his family be relieved from service to the Aoyama house, and he chose the life of a rônin ɧť.9 His lord complied with the request and granted the family a pension for as long as the father lived. 5NAJITA: 1978: 23–38. A translation of a brief passage from Talks about Teachings of the Past ºÎƭ (Keiko dan) with a short introduction in TSUNODA, DE BARY: 1964: 488–93. See also KRACHT: 1980. There the author mentions further material on Seiryô in English, including an unpublished MA paper by Royall TYLER (Lessons of the Past: The Social and Economic Thought of Kaiho Seiryô, New York: Columbia University 1966). Ibid.: 1980: 334. 6 Dates could not be verified. 7 ŶĄ. At the time of Seiryô’s birth the Aoyama had been lords of the Miyazu ƻ domain in Tango ƪÓ province (in present-day Kyôto ¡nj prefecture) with an income of 48.000 koku (cf. n. 196) since 1717. In 1758 they were transferred to the Gujô °œ domain in Mino Ǻǩ province (present-day Gifu ȇ prefecture) in order to replace a house that had met with difficulties in ruling over the territory. 8 Karô jɨ. “House elders” were chosen from among families related to the ruling house and trusted retainers of high standing. During the Edo Period they numbered from two or three up to several in most daimyô houses. They exercised control over the lord’s retinue and took charge of administrative and judicial affairs. 9 Samurai without service obligation to any lord. Japonica Humboldtiana 1 (1997) 118 Michael Kinski looking at things on his own he could not satisfy his ambition to become a writer.15 His ways took him to many parts of central Japan. Sometimes he stayed for a while in one place, e.g. two years in Ôsaka ƣü or six years in Kyôto. He earned his living by giving lectures.16 His writings convey the kind of experiences and his point of view on the setting of the places he visited, their natural resources, patterns of economic set-up, and the character of the people he encountered. On the other hand, they show him both as a travelling scholar giving lectures on Chinese classics and counsellor to pros- perous merchants and farmers who consulted him on business affairs. The years of travelling greatly expanded the scope of Seiryô’s thought, providing his views on political economy with an empirical underpinning and sharpening his analytical methods. Yet, despite his wish to be relieved from all fetters, Seiryô entered into the service of a regional house again in 1801. When Hosoi Heishû úNȔĴ (1728–1801), the house scholar of the Owari domain, was taken ill, Seiryô went to Edo to serve as his substitute. But life there did not seem to be good for him. He often fell sick and after three years he decided to ask for his dismissal. Gratified, he spent one year in the province of Echigo YÓ17 and one and a half year in the province of Kaga ho18, before returning to Kyôto in 1806. Until his death in 1817 (Bunka ȑf 14) Seiryô did not leave Kyôto again. The last years of his life he devoted to writing and lecturing. Of his numerous works not all have been found yet. Those that are known today mostly bear a title ending in dan ƭ, meaning “talks” or “conversations”. This bespeaks their character. In contrast to Confucian scholars contemporary with him or preceding him, Seiryô’s style retained the directness of spoken language that leads one to surmise that many of his works are directly based on his lectures. This indicates that Seiryô addressed not a particular audience but a broad public of merchants and warriors interested in his views and susceptible to put them into practice. Talks about Teachings of the Past ºÎƭ (Keiko dan) was written in 1813 (Bunka 10). It may be his most ambitious work, presenting a full account of his views and displaying his colourful and argumentative style. It is the quintessence of his life when he confesses: “Up to this day I 15 Ibid.: 344. 16 Ibid.: 345. 17 Present-day Niigata ŝ prefecture. 18 Present-day Ishikawa ŷƀ prefecture. Japonica Humboldtiana 1 (1997) Keiko dan, Part One 119 enjoyed myself writing to my heart’s desire without suffering from hunger or cold. Therefore, there is nothing to make me feel depressed. [Also], I have no need to make provision for children or grandchildren.19 I think that my circumstances are very pleasant.”20 Thought Background. Japan at the time when Seiryô wrote Talks about Teachings of the Past had experienced an astounding economic development. Since the beginning of the 17th century the area under cultivation had increased consid- erably while the population had more than doubled to over thirty million inhabitants. In the 18th century a period of agricultural intensification followed. The rise in productivity fed an extensive trade and supported a growing manufacturing sector. In the course of time, market-oriented production of agricultural and manufactured goods and a network of intensive trade relations attained a high level of development, starting in the most advanced provinces around Ôsaka and Kyôto and spreading gradually over the whole country. A general rise in the living standards reached large parts of the population, and a spread of wealth especially among the lower levels of society (peasants, artisans and merchants) followed. However, not all groups of society profited equally from this advance in production and trade. A neater stratification and a disproportionate distribution of wealth between rich and poor on the same social level can be observed in many parts of the country. The critical case, however, were the ruling warriors. Neither the shogunal government nor the regional lordships made adjustments in economic structures. Whereas the costs of living for the warriors increased continuously, their incomes declined or fell sharply, due to a rise in prices for other commodities of life. Nevertheless, authorities kept to the traditional system of fixed taxation in kind. Despite several attempts at reform during the 18th century the tax rate on rice Ǧë (nengu) went down from fifty or more percent at the beginning of the Edo period to about thirty percent during the first half of the 19th century.21 This resulted in growing financial problems for the government in Edo as well as 19 Seiryô did not marry formally.