Kamo no Mabuchi

• Born: 1697
• Died: 1769
• Japanese: 賀茂真淵 (Kamo no Mabuchi)

Kamo no Mabuchi was an influential kokugaku scholar and waka poet.

He is known for his efforts to uncover and articulate the "Ancient Way" (inishie no michi) of Japan, and "Our Country's Way" (kuni no tefuri), as disentangled from Confucian, Buddhist, and other foreign influences. In some of his writings, he describes the Japanese Way as emphasizing the ambiguities and transitions between things, rejecting stark categories; like other kokugaku scholars, he emphasizes the importance of Japan's distinct four seasons, but calls attention to the constant shifts in weather, as each season is constantly in a state of ebbing or waning, transitioning to or from another season. By contrast, he identified the Chinese Way (kara no tefuri) as emphasizing strict definitions, sharp distinctions, and a rationalistic prejudice.

References

• Eiko Ikegami, Bonds of Civility, Cambridge University Press (2005), 232-233.