春雨直播app

My specialization is history, and I am particularly interested in conducting research on medieval Japanese history (from the Insei period to the Sengoku period).

The primary research materials for history are historical sources. Historical sources refer to historical materials, which include archaeological artifacts and works of art, but I mainly handle documentary sources such as "kokiroku" (ancient records, such as diaries of court nobles and monks) and "komonjo" (ancient documents). Searching extensively for such documentary sources and deciphering them accurately is essential for historical research.

Sometimes students ask me, "Why did you decide to study medieval history?" While I have an academic answer prepared for that question, if I speak honestly, it is because "reading historical sources is fun and interesting."

The diaries of court nobles who served the Emperor in Kyoto are particularly interesting. There are many different types of diaries, and the descriptions in them very clearly reflect the position and personality of the "kishu" (the author of the diary).

For example, the diary of Madenokoji Tokifusa, a court noble of the Muromachi period (titled "Kennaiki"), contains many political topics because Tokifusa held the position of "Nanto Tenso"—a liaison between the Imperial Court/Shogunate and Kofuku-ji Temple—and he personally met with the Shogun to discuss policy. The Shogun's remarks are recorded in the diary, and even related documents are carefully transcribed, making the descriptions extremely detailed. Perhaps because he was handling multiple matters simultaneously, a single day's entry often spans several pages.

On the other hand, the diary of Yamashina Tokitsugu, a court noble of the Sengoku period (titled "Tokitsugukyoki"), is rich in political topics but not to the extent of "Kennaiki." Instead, it contains many descriptions of Tokitsugu's daily life, giving it an atmosphere quite close to a modern diary. Regarding the writing style, Tokifusa's prose is elaborate and can be difficult to decipher even for a few lines, whereas Tokitsugu's writing is very easy to read despite the abundance of information. The people appearing in the diary are also diverse, recording the activities of not only court nobles but also samurai and townspeople. Reading "Tokitsugukyoki" makes me feel very close to the people of that time.

As I read through these highly individualistic diaries, I sometimes encounter facts that were previously completely unknown or find errors in the interpretation of historical sources in previous research. Every time I have such an experience, I think, "History is profound." The future is not yet fixed, but the past is by no means fixed either.