Yamato-damashii

The term Yamato- damashii (Japanese大 和 魂, dt " spirit of Yamato " ) is the Japanese national spirit or the essence, adopted in the framework of the essentialist theory of the nation of the Japanese people per se. It is used interchangeably with the term " Yamato Gokoro " (Eng. "Heart of Yamato ").

The Yamato- damashii increases accordingly within the Japanese conservatism and nationalism, but also within the Shinto faith a central position.

Substantive provisions

The concept of Yamato- damashii builds on the mythology of Shinto by the values ​​of the culture of the Yamato kingdom, from which today's Japan emerged, be accepted via the Jimmu myth as generally binding and timeless values ​​divine origin.

This lean on content is very like the Bushido (see code of conduct and philosophy ), but comprise about this addition, the emphasis on the importance of cultural traditions and classical aesthetics and art of the country. These are in particular the formerly practiced by the samurai visual arts, such as Understood calligraphy, the tea ceremony, haiku poetry, ikebana and the various forms of Budo.

However, according to the essentialist reasoning of the Yamato- damashii these values ​​are provided as essentials of the Japanese people; that is, whether foreigners or gaijin can not do this completely to capture or to learn because they are animated by a different spirit of the people.

On this basis, a second, now more not only purely descriptive, but nationalist interpretation by which the exclusive claim was raised on the Yamato- damashii developed in the period between the end of the 19th century and the end of the Pacific War in 1945, compared to other nations to be superior. In this context, the term national spirit is therefore used in analogy with the terms " national character " or " racial character " in the theories of Western right-wing extremists.

Criticism

The essentialist theory of the nation was falsified by modern psychology, thus the Yamato damashii is presently considered from a scientific perspective as non- existent.

Use

The term is omitted in the professional discourse of its historical importance is now used almost exclusively by authors with a corresponding political or religious orientation.

Yamato damashii is nevertheless a popular lettering on T -shirts and headbands, for example, be worn by Japanese fans at international sporting events.