Motoori Norinaga

Motoori Norinaga (Japanese本 居 宣 长; * June 21, 1730; † November 5, 1801 ) was a Japanese scholar at the time of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Motoori Norinaga distinguished himself mainly as a philologist (Text researchers ) of the oldest indigenous literature, understood in his time by virtually no one more. He is regarded as the most important representative of the so-called National School ( Kokugaku ), which was free on a reconstruction of the ancient Japanese culture aligned by all foreign (ie, Indian and Chinese ) influences. Its central object of research was the Kojiki, the oldest kingdom Chronicle of Japan. In his work he discusses the Kojiki - meaning and pronunciation of old phrases and words, and was a forerunner of today's old Japanese language research. The National School is also considered a pioneer of the Meiji Restoration, the political reform movement of the year 1868. Motoori itself is not, however, emerged as a political activist. It was under his pupil Hirata Atsutane received the Kokugaku an explicitly political orientation.

Biography

Motoori Norinaga is born in 1730 as the first son of the family. Already with 7 years he can read and write, which is extremely early for the Japanese font. He contends with 11 Noh plays and Confucian classics. Two years later he visited the Yoshino temple. Motoori Norinaga learns with 16 archery. At 18, he dominated the Japanese tea ceremony and is adopted by the family Imaida. He runs with 19 advanced Confucian training.

The adoption by the family Imaida 1750 is revoked. Motoori Norinaga studied medicine in 1752 in Kyoto. There are some scientists recognize its performance. Motoori created in 2000 Waka (poetry ), 40 books and 15 more copies. It reads in 1757 his first book of Kamo no Mabuchi (Kanji ko). Because he did not have enough money, he returned to his hometown and opened a practice.

In 1762, the arranged marriage with Kusabuka Tami (草深 たみ) takes place. After 3 months separate the two. He meets Kamo no Mabuchi 1763, which recommends him to read the Nihon Shoki and the Man'yōshū. From 1764 to 1771 Motoori Norinaga studied the Kojiki, where he begins to spread his teachings. He died in 1801.