香川輝著『剣道極意』における女性と武士道の関連の生成とその背景

抄録

The purpose of this study is to clarify the formational process of the thought about women and bushido seen in Kendo Gokui (1916) by Kagawa Teru. To achieve that aim, the first step was to reveal the context of the thought between women and bushido in the chapter of general statement of Kendo Gokui while looking at the meaning and positioning of bushido. Next, the background of formation of the thought was explored through analyzing the descriptions in the journal titled Seikou.

The results of this study are shown below.

1. Kagawa states in the chapter of general statement of Kendo Gokui that the concept of bushido was to be calm and resolute against those who are strong and fierce, and show love to those who are weak and suffering. The terms “jindo” (human way) or “Nihon-do” (Japanese way) could also be used instead of “bushido”. Furthermore, Kagawa pointed out a problem with the term “bushido”. According to him, the concept of bushido has been misunderstood in that the spiritual characteristics of “do” (way) in the word “bushido” were only for samurai warriors (bushi), and had no relation to the other farmer, artisan, and merchant classes in Japan. Kagawa thought that from such an interpretation bushido is a “way” for all people and that even women should not be excluded from studying it and benefitting from it. For that purpose, Kagawa recommended practicing kendo. Thus, it became clear that in the relationship between women and bushido, for Kagawa these concepts were at the core.

2. When the background to the formation of thoughts on the relationship between women and bushido were explored, Kagawa’s view of women and interpretation of bushido in Kendo Gokui were found to be similar to an article he wrote in a journal called Seikou that was published in 1909. For this reason, this journal article by Kagawa was considered to be the beginning of his view on women and bushido found in Kendo Gokui.

3. The background of Kagawa’s article published in the journal Seikou in 1909, firstly, it was the close relationship between girls and budo in girls’ education in the middle and late Meiji era. It was confirmed that, as governor of Saga prefecture, Kagawa was involved in girls’ education by opening a girls’ high school. Furthermore, similarities were found between interpretations of the view of women and bushido in Kagawa’s Seikou article, and the view of women and bushido described in Bushido, edited by Abe Masato and published in 1902. This was not only because of the teacher-student relationship with Yamaoka Tesshu through Kagawa’s kendo training, but also the close time between the two discourses. From these facts, it can be said that the accounts of Yamaoka Tesshu’s verbal teachings were the background for the generation of the view of women and interpretation of bushido in Kagawa’s Seikou article.