Orientalism; Oriental Studies

Japanese: 東洋学 - とうようがく（英語表記）Orientalism; Oriental Studies

A general term for academic studies that focus on the Orient and that focus on humanities. Due to the ambiguity of the term Orient, its concept and scope differ from country to country, but in Europe and the United States, it is generally defined as the study of the "Asia and North Africa" region, while in Japan, it refers to the study of the Orient in general, not including Japan. The seeds of Oriental studies, which include Japan and China, can be found at the time when the European and Asian continents were first connected with the emergence of the Mongol Empire. As a result, Carpini and Marco Polo visited the Mongol Empire and transmitted information about China and Japan to the West. This stimulated interest in the Orient, which was continued by Jesuit missionaries who aimed to spread Catholicism from the 16th century onwards, and the conditions and cultural artifacts of the Orient that they transmitted had a great impact on Europe. It became the subject of academic research in the 18th century, and in the 19th century, academic societies and courses were established at universities around the country. Currently, a wide variety of Oriental studies are being conducted in Western countries, including the United States, and excellent scholars and achievements are being produced.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

東洋を対象とし，その人文科学を研究の主体とする学問の総称。東洋という用語の曖昧さによってその概念や範囲は各国各人によって相違するが，現在一般に欧米ではこれを「アジア・北アフリカ」地域の研究に特定，日本では日本を含まない東洋全般の研究をさす。日本や中国を包括した東洋学の萌芽は，モンゴル帝国の出現によって，ヨーロッパ・アジア両大陸が初めて連結した時点に求められる。その結果カルピニやマルコ・ポーロらが訪れ，中国や日本に関する情報を西洋に伝えた。これによって刺激された東洋に対する関心は，16世紀以降，カトリックの布教を目的とするイエズス会宣教師によって受継がれ，彼らの伝えた東洋の国情や文物は，ヨーロッパに大きな影響を与えた。それは 18世紀に学問研究の対象となり，19世紀に各地の大学に学会や講座がおかれるようになった。現在アメリカを加えた西洋各国で，多彩な東洋学の研究が行われ，すぐれた学者や業績が生れている。

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

<<: Oriental Arts Magazine - Toyo Gakugei Zasshi

>>: Eastern medicine - Touyouigaku (English spelling) Eastern medicine