• CONCEPT AND COMMUNICATION
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• no.23
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• pp.237-272
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• 2019

This paper reexamines the prevailing understanding of the Meiji Enlightenment in terms of the discourse on civilization and enlightenment conducted by Meirokusha in the early Meiji period. Specifically, it extends the discourse on civilization and enlightenment beyond the confines of Meirokusha to also include the discourses of those advocating the unity of church and state and the establishment of a state religion. Such discourses gave rise to various forms of enlightenment in the late Meiji period, of which this paper explores the critical appropriation of modern western enlightenment that occurred in the process of formation of Kokutai (national polity) theory, hence the enlightenment of Kokutai. There is a particular focus on the division and reorganization of the concept of 敎 (teaching / religion), since it was the key concept in Kokutai theory and enlightenment was only relevant to Kokutai theory in this context. This analysis shows that when the adherents of Kokutai understood it as a religion, and 敎 (teaching / religion) was seen in ideological terms, then enlightenment appeared in a distorted form as a discipline required by divine authority. Another finding is that when rational judgment and criticism of the Kokutai religion were not allowed, this suppressed the formation of the individual subject of enlightenment.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.16
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• pp.71-110
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• 1989

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influential factors creating the modern library thought in the latter part of Yi Dynasty. After Korea was forced to make a treaty opening up the country in 1876, Western civilization was introduced and reforms were carried out eventually. Various influential factors could be taken into consideration as follows. (1) The envoys to Japan after 1876 (2) Tourists party to Japan organized by Gentlemen in 1982 (3) The persons who studied abroad (4) Establishment of modern schools and development of publications: on the new learning. (5) News media and others Above all, the persons who studied abroad, such as Yu Gil Jun, Yun Chi Ho, etc., in early stage has contributed most to the extension of public recognition for modern library in Korea. Therefore it can be said that the formation of modern library thought in Korea was based on the theory of the Western library as was the Japan in the period of Meiji Restoration. Patriotic intelectualls in these days believed that reform of the educational system and the diffusion of knowledge was very much meeded in order to preserve an independent Korea and to build up national strength, and then nation-wide campaign for enlightenment was earried on. For that reason the movement of the national library establishment in 1906 also should be regarded from the same point of view, that is, as a part of the enlightenment campaign. Therefore it should not go unheeded that strong patriotism was always streamed under the ground of the library campaign as well as the new learning and new education campaign. Unfortunately every plan of Korean library movement had broken down and missed the chance for having experience of self-development because of the Japanese invasion.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.37
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• pp.377-410
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• 2009

In the East Asian Confucianism society, Hakmun was aimed to bring human beings and nature into harmony, and to explore a unity between knowledge and conducts. For example, Neo-Confucianism aspired they could explain the human existence and society through a single concept of Iki(理氣, the basic principles and the atmospheric force of nature). In this philosophy, humanics and natural sciences had not been differentiated at all. The East-West cultural interchanges at the beginning of modernity caused a crack in the traditional academic concepts. Through the Hundred Days of Reform(變法自疆運動, a movement of Strenuous Efforts through Reforming the Law), the Western Affairs Movement(洋務運動) in China, Meiji Restoration(明治維新) in Japan, or Innovation Movements(開化運動) and the Patriotic Enlightenment Movement(愛國啓蒙運動) in Korea, the traditional meanings of Hakmun was degraded while it became a target of the criticism of the enlightenment movements. Accordingly, East Asians' perception of Hakmun rapidly began to change. Although there had been the Silhak(實學, practical science) movement in Korea, which tried to differentiate its conceptualization of Hakmun from that of Neo-Confucianism during the 18th and 19th century, the fundamental shift in meaning occurred with the influx of the modern Western culture. This change converted the ultimate objective of Hakmun as well as its methods and substances. The separation of humanics and natural sciences, rise in dignity of the technological sciences, and subdivision of learning into disciplines and their specialization were accelerated during the Korean enlightenment period. The inflow of the modern western science, humanized thought, and empiricism functioned as mediators in these phase and they caused an irreversible crack in the traditional academic thoughts. Confronting the western mode of knowledge, however, the East Asian intellectuals had to explain their new learning by using traditional terms and concepts; modification was unavoidable when they tried to explain the newly imported knowledge and concepts. This presentation focuses on the traditional concepts of 'gyeogchi'(格致, extending knowledge by investigating things) and 'gungni'(窮理, investigation of principles), pervasively used in philosophy, physics and many other fields of study. These concepts will mark the key point with which to trace changes of knowledge and to understand the way how the concept of Hakmun was converted into a modern one.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.23-44
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• 2023

The word library(図書館) is a Japanese translation of the Western library or Bibliothek in the mid-Meiji period. This word has been accepted in Chinese(图书馆), Taiwan(圖書館), Korea(도서관), and Vietnam(Dđồ thư quán), which are Chinese-speaking countries. If so, when and who first introduced the term library to Japan and China? In Japan, the enlightenment thinker Fukuzawa's 『Seiyo Jijo, 1866』 is regarded as the first document to introduce the Western library, and in China, the article published in 『Qing Yi Bao, 1896』 by the reformed thinker Liang Qichao referred to as the first example. Therefore, this study traced and demonstrated the time and person in which the word library appeared, focusing on modern dictionaries, books, translations, papers, and newspaper articles that were introduced in both countries. As a result, the theory of the introduction to Fukuzawa in 1866 is wrong because Western libraries are described in various terms in many diaries and dictionaries, including Motoki's 『An English Japanese Dictionary of the Spoken Language, 1814』. Also, in China, the theory of introduction of Liang Qichao in 1896 is not true because the term library first appeared in Ryu Jeong-dam's 『A Dictionary of Loan Words and Hybrid Words in Chinese, 1884』. In the same context, it is necessary to trace and argue the history of the first use of the term library in Korea and the name of the first library in Korea established by the Busan Branch of the Japan Hongdo Association in 1901.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.1
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• pp.109-144
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• 2003

Orientalness is a concept that expresses the collective identity of the Orient in relation to the West. The concept itself is mutable and defined by the relationship between the two regions at different points in time. Changes in the concept depend on a number of factors, such as cultural influence, the political balance of power between the two regions, and on the interpretative scheme that defines the relationship. In addition, the geographical notion of the concept evolves culturally, socially and politically. During this process, Oriental-ness becomes Oriental-ism at times. I will attempt to survey and measure the progression of Orientalness from its emergence in early 17th century to its subsequent transformation in modern Korea as reflected in art theory and art works. The recognition of the comparative characteristics of Oriental art began when the Orient was exposed to the art of the West in the late Ming dynasty during the early 17th century. The changes in the artistic climate in China affected the late Chosun. I will start with a brief introduction of this time and the birth of Orientalness. The concept gradually changed during the period of Enlightenment(開化期) towards the end of the 19th century, and during the colonial period( 1910-1945) it took on a new form. Establishment of the concept of "Orient"as a single, unifying concept spanning across cultures and national boundaries has been attributed to late Meiji period Japan, whose intention at that time is believed to have been to build a pan-Asia(亞細亞) empire with Japan at its commanding center. It has been stressed that the real motive behind the formation of one single cultural unit, where the shared common written language was Chinese and Confucianism and Taoism were the common metaphysical traditions, was to build one political unit. When the notion of a geographical unit of Asia was replaced by the concept of Asia as a cultural and political unit, a massive growth of interest and discourse were provoked around the concept of Orientalism. When Orientalism was being formulated, Korea automatically became member of "one Asia" when the country became colonized. For Koreans, the identity of the Orient had to be defined in cultural terms, as the political notion of a nation was non-existent at that time. The definition of identity was pursued at two levels, pan-Asian and local. If Orientalism was an elite discourse centered in pan-Asian philosophical and religious tradition, localized Orientalism was a popular discourse emphasizing locality as the byproduct of natural geographic condition. After the liberation in 1945 from colonial rule, a thrust of movement arose towards political nationalism. Two types of discourses on Orientalism, elite and popular, continued as central themes in art. Despite the effort to redefine the national identity by eradicating the cultural language of the colonial past, the past was enduring well into the present time. As discussed above, even when the painting themes were selected from Korean history, the tradition of using history painting as a manifestation of political policy to glorify the local identity had its founding during the Meiji period. The elevation of folk art to the level of high art also goes back to the colonial promotion of local color and local sentiment. Again, the succession of the past (colonial) ideal was defended as the tradition assumed a distinct modern shape that was abstract in style. The concept of the "Orient" is of relative and changing nature. It was formulated in relation to Western culture or civilization. Whatever the real motive of the adoption of them had been, the superiority of the Orient was emphasized at all times. The essence of the Orient was always perceived as the metaphysical tradition as a way to downgrade Western culture as materialistic. This view still prevails and the principle of Orient was always sought in Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Even when Orientalism was employed by imperialist Japan in an effort to establish her position as the center of the Orient, the spiritual source was still in Chinese philosophy and religion. In art also, the Chinese literati tradition became the major platform for elite discourse. Orientalism was also defined locally, and the so-called local color was pursued in terms of theme and style. Thus trend continued despite the effort to eradicate the remnants of colonial culture long after liberation. These efforts are now being supported politically and also institutionalized to become the aesthetic ideal of the modern Korean art.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.59-66
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• 2023

This study attempts to examine the process of establishing a Japanese-style garden in the modern period through the perspectives of garden designers, spatial composition, spatial components, and materials used in their works, and to use it as data for embodying the identity of Korean garden. The results are as follows: First, by incorporating elements associated with Koreanness into the modern garden culture, there are differences in location, presence, and subjectivity when compared to Japan. This reflects Japan's relatively seamless cultural continuity compared to Korea's cultural disconnection during the modern period. Second, prior to the modern period, Japan's garden culture spread and continued to develop throughout the country without significant interruptions. However, during the modern period, the Meiji government promoted the policy of 'civilization and enlightenment (Bunmei-kaika, 文明開化)' and introduced advanced European and American civilizations, leading to the popularity of Western-style architectural techniques. Unfortunately, the rapid introduction of Western culture caused the traditional Japanese culture to be overshadowed. In 1879, British architect Josiah Condor guided Japanese architects and introduced atelier and traditional designs of Japanese gardens into the design. The garden style of Ogawa Jihei VII, a garden designer in Kyoto during the Meiji and Taisho periods, was accepted by influential political and business leaders who sought to preserve Japan's traditional culture. And a protection system of garden was established through the preparation of various laws and regulations. Third, as a comprehensive analysis of Japanese modern gardens, the examination of garden designers, Japanese components, materials, elements, and the Japanese-style showed that Yamagata Aritomo, Ogawa Jihei VII, and Mirei Shigemori were representative garden designers who preserved the Japanese-style in their gardens. They introduced features such as the creation of a Daejicheon(大池泉) garden, which involves a large pond on a spacious land, as well as the naturalistic borrowed scenery method and water flow. Key components of Japanese-style gardens include the use of turf, winding garden paths, and the variation of plant species. Fourth, an analysis of the Japanese-style elements in the target sites revealed that the use of flowing water had the highest occurrence at 47.06% among the individual elements of spatial composition. Daejicheon and naturalistic borrowed scenery were also shown. The use of turf and winding paths were at 65.88% and 78.82%, respectively. The alteration of tree species was relatively less common at 28.24% compared to the application of turf or winding paths. Fifth, it is essential to discover more gardens from the modern period and meticulously document the creators or owners of the gardens, the spatial composition, spatial components, and materials used. This information will be invaluable in uncovering the identity of our own gardens. This study was conducted based on the analysis of the process of establishing the Japanese-style during Japan's modern period, utilizing examples of garden designers and gardens. While this study has limitations, such as the absence of in-depth research and more case studies or specific techniques, it sets the stage for future exploration.