Kamei Nanmei

He was the son of an old physician from Meinohama, Sawara County, Chikuzen Province (now Fukuoka City). His given name was Ro, his pen name was Dosai, and he was commonly known as Mondo or Michiya. He studied under the Sorai school monk Daicho (1676/1678-1768) from Hizen during his childhood, and in the Horeki era (1751-1764) he went to Sakai and became a disciple of Nagatomi Dokushoan. After returning to Japan, he followed his father and moved to Tojin-cho, where he ran a clinic and a private school. His talent was recognized for his poetry and prose correspondence with Korean envoys, and he was selected as the domain's Confucian physician. Furthermore, his long-held views on the urgent need for domain schools were recognized, and in 1784 (Tenmei 4) when the Eastern and Western domain schools were established, he was appointed president of the Western Learning Kantokan. Western Learning had many students and overwhelmed Eastern Learning, but it was soon framed by the Zhu Xi school of the Eastern Learning Shuyukan, who took advantage of the Kansei era ban on heterodox learning (1790), and Nanming retired. He later compiled his major work, "The Sources of the Analects." There are many commentaries on the Analects, but he believes that the original meaning has been distorted by later Confucian scholars, and this book takes the approach of having Confucius speak only through Confucius' words, and is considered one of the most excellent commentaries. His other works include "Higo Monogatari," "Hanyaba Nashi," "Nan'yu Kiko," and "Kin'inben." He excelled in Chinese poetry and calligraphy, and followed the example of Ouyang Xun. He also enjoyed drinking and had a chivalrous nature, so he was called the "Confucian scholar" by his townsfolk.

[Tadashi Inoue]

"The Confucian Scholar Kamei Nanmei" by Takanoe Teiko (1913, Kyobunsha)" ▽ "The Complete Works of Kamei Nanmei and Shoyo, edited by Araki Kengo et al., 8 volumes, 9 books (1978-1980, Ashi Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

筑前(ちくぜん)国早良(さわら)郡姪浜(めいのはま)（福岡市）の古方医(こほうい)の子。名は魯(ろ)、字(あざな)は道載(どうさい)、通称は主水(もんど)または道哉(みちや)。少年期より徂徠(そらい)学派の肥前の僧大潮(だいちょう)（1676／1678―1768）に学び、宝暦(ほうれき)（1751～1764）に上坂して永富独嘯庵(ながとみどくしょうあん)に就く。帰国後、父に従い唐人(とうじん)町に移居して医院・塾を経営、朝鮮通信使との詩文応対でその才を認められ、藩の儒医に抜擢(ばってき)される。さらに、かねての藩校急務論が認められ、1784年（天明4）東西両藩校創設に際し、西学甘棠館(かんとうかん)の総裁に任ぜられた。西学は学ぶ者が多く、東学を圧倒していたが、やがて寛政(かんせい)異学の禁（1790）に便乗した東学修猷館(しゅうゆうかん)の朱子学派から陥れられ、南冥は隠退の身となって、その後に主著『論語語由』をまとめた。『論語』の注釈書は多いが、後儒のさかしらによりその原意がゆがめられているとし、本書は孔子のことばによってのみ孔子を語らせるという方法をとり、もっとも優れた注釈書の一つとされる。ほかに『肥後物語』『半夜話(はんやばなし)』『南游(なんゆう)紀行』『金印弁(きんいんべん)』などの著がある。漢詩に優れ、書をよくし欧陽詢(おうようじゅん)に倣った。また酒をたしなみ任侠(にんきょう)肌で、郷党に儒侠(じゅきょう)と称せられた。

［井上　忠］

『高野江鼎湖著『儒侠亀井南冥』（1913・共文社）』▽『荒木見悟他編『亀井南冥・昭陽全集』全8巻9冊（1978～1980・葦書房）』

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