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However, the character of the figures commonly described in English as "Confucian scholars" in fact developed out of a combination of philosophies and other cultural elements and influences, including [[Taoism]] and [[Buddhism]]. The disconnect between this tradition and the core, original, Confucian philosophy is evident in the fact that the standard Japanese terms for "Confucianism" do not incorporate the name Confucius (孔子) itself, but rather employ the term ''ju'' (C: ''rú''). The most common Japanese term for "Confucianism" is thus not ''Kôshigaku'' (孔子学), "the teachings of Confucius," but rather ''jugaku'' (儒学, "the study of ''rú''"), ''jukyô'' (儒教, "the teachings of ''rú''"), or ''judô'' (儒道, "the way of ''rú'')<ref>Not to be confused, of course, with the martial art [[judo|jûdô]] 柔道.</ref>. ''Ju'', or ''rú'' in Chinese, literally meaning "gentle," was used as early as Confucius' own time to refer to his followers, and has come to refer to the broad set of concepts associated with this tradition of the refined "Confucian" gentleman, and the various teachings such a gentleman-scholar is said to follow and espouse.
However, the character of the figures commonly described in English as "Confucian scholars" in fact developed out of a combination of philosophies and other cultural elements and influences, including [[Taoism]] and [[Buddhism]]. The disconnect between this tradition and the core, original, Confucian philosophy is evident in the fact that the standard Japanese terms for "Confucianism" do not incorporate the name Confucius (孔子) itself, but rather employ the term ''ju'' (C: ''rú''). The most common Japanese term for "Confucianism" is thus not ''Kôshigaku'' (孔子学), "the teachings of Confucius," but rather ''jugaku'' (儒学, "the study of ''rú''"), ''jukyô'' (儒教, "the teachings of ''rú''"), or ''judô'' (儒道, "the way of ''rú'')<ref>Not to be confused, of course, with the martial art [[judo|jûdô]] 柔道.</ref>. ''Ju'', or ''rú'' in Chinese, literally meaning "gentle," was used as early as Confucius' own time to refer to his followers, and has come to refer to the broad set of concepts associated with this tradition of the refined "Confucian" gentleman, and the various teachings such a gentleman-scholar is said to follow and espouse.
==Confucianism in Japan==
Confucianism entered Japan during the [[Nara period]], if not earlier, as the Japanese state incorporated Chinese governmental technologies & philosophies. The [[Neo-Confucianism]] of [[Zhu Xi]] and others was introduced to Japan by [[Zen]] monks in the [[Kamakura period]].<ref name=craig>[[Albert M. Craig]], ''The Heritage of Japanese Civilization'', Second Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 85-86.</ref>
However, it was not until the [[Edo period]] that Confucianism & Neo-Confucianism became more thoroughly investigated and more widely adopted.<ref name=craig/> Confucian scholars such as [[Nakae Toju|Nakae Tôju]], [[Yamazaki Ansai]], and [[Ito Jinsai|Itô Jinsai]], among many others, wrote numerous treatises on political, societal, and cosmological theory, and Confucian scholars such as [[Arai Hakuseki]], [[Hayashi Razan]], and other members of the [[Hayashi clan]], became fixtures at the shogun's court as some of his top advisors; many daimyô maintained Confucian scholars as advisors as well.
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