Pri mary Source Document

wi th Questi ons ( DBQs)

E X C E R P T S F R O M S H I N R O N ( N E W T H E S E S ) : T H E B A R B A R I A N S
N A T U R E
b y A i z a wa S e i s h i s a i



I ntroducti on

Aizawa Seishisai (1781-1863) was an important Confucian scholar and tutor to the lords of Mito, a branch of the
Tokugawa family. Aizawas greatest work, Shinron (New Theses), was written in 1825, in the wake of a string of
incidents of Western ships entering Japanese waters. Now considered a seminal contribution to Japanese nationalist
thought, Shinron tapped into rising sentiments in Japan supporting a more active political role for the emperor and a
firm stand against the intrusions of Western barbarians. Aizawas writings, as well as the work of other scholars in
what was known as the Mito School, would later prove an inspiration to the detractors of the Tokugawa shogunate
who rallied around the slogan sonn! j!i (revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians).



Sel ected Document Excerpt wi th Questi ons (Longer selection follows this section)
From Anti-Foreignism and Western Learning in Early-Modern Japan, by Bob Tadashi Wakabayashi (Council on East Asian Studies,
Harvard University, 1986), 208-209, 213.


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38 9$:2+2 "*$-#$-2$

The barbarians coming lo sy on our MiddIe Kingdom during lhe asl lhree hundred
years arrived one afler anolher from various nalions. Though lheir homeIands differ, lhey aII
revere lhe same god. This means lhal Chrislianily has had designs on our MiddIe Kingdom for
lhe asl lhree hundred years. In deaIing vilh lhis |suslained lhrealj, our MiddIe Kingdom has
on each occasion adoled a differenl oIicy based on lhe lhen-revaIenl oinion. The redalors
have a firm, fixed ob|eclive and sleadfaslIy lry lo achieve il, lhe rey inlermillenlIy changes ils
defense oslure, al limes assuming lhe hard-Iine, al limes, lhe sofl-Iine, aIvays vaciIIaling
belveen lhe lvo. Who can guaranlee lhal lhe redalors forever viII meel fruslralion lrying lo
discover our veaknesses` To lurn our vaciIIalion inlo conslancy of urose and eIiminale lhe
veaknesses ve osses, ve firsl musl fuIIy undersland lhe barbarians' nalure. We firsl musl
fuIIy undersland lhe barbarians' nalure.


Questi ons:

1. How would you characterize Aizawas view of the West?
2. Given Japans historical experience dealing with the West, do you think that
Aizawa is at all justified in his views?
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EXCERPTS FROM SHI NRON ( NEW THESES) : THE BARBARI ANS NATURE, BY AI ZAWA SEI SHI SAI



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3. How does Aizawa feel about Tokugawa policy toward and preparations for
the Western threat?
4. What does Aizawa believe is Japans proper course of action in confronting
the barbarians?
5. Why is it significant that Aizawa calls Japan our Middle Kingdom?



Longer Sel ecti on
From Anti-Foreignism and Western Learning in Early-Modern Japan, by Bob Tadashi Wakabayashi (Council on East Asian Studies,
Harvard University, 1986), 208-209, 213.


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38 9$:2+2 "*$-#$-2$

.

The bakufu once made il Iain lo Russia lhal }aanese Iav requires us lo deslroy on
sighl any barbarian shi aroaching our coasls. ul nov lhe IngIish reguIarIy aear and
anchor off our shores, and ve do nol Iifl a finger lo drive lhem avay. |Quile lhe conlrary, as in
lhe recenl lsuhama affair,j vhen lhey have lhe gaII lo Iand, ve go oul of our vay lo rovide
for lheir needs and send lhem merriIy aIong. WiII lhe barbarians have any resecl for our Iavs
afler lhey hear aboul lhis` The IngIish come and go as lhey Iease, drav mas and skelch our
lerrain, disrul our inler-isIand lransorl syslem, and vin over our commoners vilh lheir
occuIl reIigion and lhe Iure of rofil. If smuggIing increases and ve faiI lo slo commoners from
aiding and abelling lhe barbarians, vho knovs vhal fulure consiracies may halch`
ul our lemorizing, gIoss-il-over officiaIs reIy, The foreigners are |usl fishermen and
merchanls doing nolhing oul of lhe ordinary, lhere is no cause for aIarm. Whal simIelons!
The barbarians Iive len lhousand miIes across lhe sea, vhen lhey sel off on foreign conquesls,
lhey musl rocure suIies and rovisions from lhe enemy. Thal is vhy lhey lrade and fish.
Their men-of-var are seIf-sufficienl avay from home. If lheir onIy molive for harooning
vhaIes vas lo oblain vhaIe meal, lhey couId do so in lheir ovn valers. Why shouId lhey risk
Iong, difficuIl voyages |usl lo haroon vhaIes in easlern seas`

(GIoss: The valers off GreenIand, for examIe, leem vilh vhaIes. Thal is vhy barbarian
vhaIers from aII over lhe vorId go lhere. Moreover, GreenIand is bul a shorl voyage
from IngIand.)

Their shis can be oulfilled for lrading, or fishing, "# $%&'(%)&. Can anyone guaranlee lhal lheir
merchanl vesseIs and fishing boals of loday viII nol lurn inlo varshis lomorrov` .

ul some dimvils argue, The varriors of our Divine ReaIm have been eerIess
lhroughoul lhe vorId since anliquily. The barbarians are uny runls, lhere is no cause for
Pri mary Source Document wi th Questi ons ( DBQs) on
EXCERPTS FROM SHI NRON ( NEW THESES) : THE BARBARI ANS NATURE, BY AI ZAWA SEI SHI SAI



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aIarm. True, lhe fighling men of our Divine ReaIm are brave and skiIIed in varfare, and our
cusloms reinforce lhis |nalive marliaI sirilj. ul limes change, lhere are eras of veakness as
veII as slrenglh. During lhe Warring Slales eriod |1467-1568j, our varriors vere lruIy fil for
combal, roer movemenls on lhe ballIefieId vere simIe refIex aclions. Our varriors roved
lheir vaIor lhrough acluaI ballIefieId achievemenls, such as caluring enemy banners or
beheading enemy generaIs. ul lvo hundred years have assed since our varriors Iasl lasled
ballIe. Hov many of lhem loday are lrained veII enough lo coe vilh lhe sudden lhrusls and
feinls or lhe olher comIexilies of varfare` The veak-hearled vouId fIee for lheir Iives,
disruling lhe ranks, lhe courageous vouId die meaningIessIy, lheir vaIor coming lo naughl.
Our skiII and vaIor do nol guaranlee viclory. When lhe MongoIs allacked |in 1274 and 1281j,
lhe miIilary rovess of our Divine ReaIm vas al ils rime. ul due lo our ignorance of enemy
formalions and laclics, our vaIor counled for IillIe. Our headIong charges Ied onIy lo seIf-
decimalion. This is vhy I mainlain lhal viclory in var deends enlireIy on lhe slalesman-
generaI's slralagems and Iong-range Ianning. ul lhe arl of var as laughl loday consisls of
oulmoded ideas and laclics emIoyed by medievaI generaIs Iike Takeda Shingen and Uesugi
Kenshin. We do nol observe foreign lroos direclIy, nor do ve galher informalion aboul lhem.
Once var breaks oul, lhey may engage us in a lolaIIy unexecled vay, so il is a oor idea lo
reIy soIeIy on our reulalion for vaIor.

.

The barbarians coming lo sy on our MiddIe Kingdom during lhe asl lhree hundred
years arrived one afler anolher from various nalions. Though lheir homeIands differ, lhey aII
revere lhe same god. This means lhal Chrislianily has had designs on our MiddIe Kingdom for
lhe asl lhree hundred years. In deaIing vilh lhis |suslained lhrealj, our MiddIe Kingdom has
on each occasion adoled a differenl oIicy based on lhe lhen-revaIenl oinion. The redalors
have a firm, fixed ob|eclive and sleadfaslIy lry lo achieve il, lhe rey inlermillenlIy changes ils
defense oslure, al limes assuming lhe hard-Iine, al limes, lhe sofl-Iine, aIvays vaciIIaling
belveen lhe lvo. Who can guaranlee lhal lhe redalors forever viII meel fruslralion lrying lo
discover our veaknesses` To lurn our vaciIIalion inlo conslancy of urose and eIiminale lhe
veaknesses ve osses, ve firsl musl fuIIy undersland lhe barbarians' nalure. We firsl musl
fuIIy undersland lhe barbarians' nalure.