Konan Naito - Konan Naito

Historian and critic. Doctor of Literature. His given name was Torajiro, and his pen name was Konan. He was born in the former Nanbu Domain (Kemanai, Akita Prefecture) in 1866. He graduated from Akita Normal School. He went to Tokyo to enter journalism and also traveled to Taiwan, but eventually became an editorial writer for the Osaka Asahi Shimbun Company, and as a leading expert on China issues, he also made recommendations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on China policy. In 1907 (Meiji 40), he was invited to Kyoto Imperial University by Kano Kokichi, and two years later he became a professor and head of Oriental history, and the following year he became a Doctor of Literature. He later became a member of the Imperial Academy. During this time he traveled to Europe and conducted research on the Dunhuang documents. After retiring from government service in 1926 (Taisho 15), he ran the Kuni Sansou lodge in Mikanohara Village, Kyoto Prefecture (present-day Kizugawa City) and devoted himself to reading. He continued to hold important positions, including as a member of the National Treasure Preservation Society, and passed away in 1934 at the age of 69.

He made his name as a writer with his early work "Modern Literature History Treatise," established a foothold in Chinese studies with "Yanshan Chusui," and wrote many research books on Chinese history, including "Japanese Cultural History Research," "China Theory," and "Kenki Shoroku," and published the 14-volume "Naito Konan Complete Works" (Chikuma Shobo). He is well known as a critic and calligrapher in the Meiji literary world, but as a scholar of Chinese history he established his own scientific style of study and became the founder of new Chinese studies in Japan.

[Osamu Kanaya]

"Japanese Masterpieces 41: Konan Naito" edited by Tamaki Ogawa (1971, Chuokoron-Shinsha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

歴史学者、評論家。文学博士。名は虎次郎(とらじろう)、湖南はその号。慶応(けいおう)2年旧南部(なんぶ)藩（秋田県毛馬内(けまない)）に生まれる。秋田師範学校卒業。東京に出てジャーナリズムに入り、台湾にも渡ったが、やがて大阪朝日新聞社で論説担当者となり、中国問題の論壇第一人者として外務省の対華政策にも献言する。1907年（明治40）狩野亨吉(かのうこうきち)によって京都帝国大学に招かれ、2年後教授、東洋史学担任、翌年文学博士となった。のち帝国学士院会員。この間渡欧し、敦煌(とんこう)文書の調査研究を行う。1926年（大正15）退官後、京都府瓶原(みかのはら)村（現木津川(きづがわ)市）で恭仁(くに)山荘を営み、読書生活に入る。国宝保存会委員などの要職を続け、昭和9年没、69歳。

　初期の『近世文学史論』で文名をあげ、『燕山楚水(えんざんそすい)』で中国研究の地歩を築き、『日本文化史研究』『支那(しな)論』『研幾小録(けんきしょうろく)』のほか中国史の研究書が多く、『内藤湖南全集』14巻（筑摩(ちくま)書房）がある。明治文壇の評論家、書家としても有名であるが、中国史学者として独自の科学的学風を樹立し、日本の新しい中国研究の開創者となった。

［金谷　治］

『小川環樹編『日本の名著41　内藤湖南』（1971・中央公論社）』

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