Exoticism

Japanese: エキゾティシズム（英語表記）exoticism

The word originates from the Greek word exōtikos (meaning foreign or exotic), and is translated as exoticism or exoticism. It is thought that originally it started from a vague curiosity about the climate and customs not found in one's own country, but as an artistic taste or a trend of the time, it was a strong emotional interest in a particular region, and in some cases it was combined with a feeling of escapism and a desire to escape from one's own environment. For example, the Nanban taste that existed in Japan from the end of the Muromachi period to the Azuchi-Momoyama period is thought to have evolved from a simple practical interest in the technologically advanced Western countries, which were difficult trading partners for Japan, to an emotional interest in the customs of Westerners, and furthermore, with the influx of Christianity, it also took on a strong color of longing.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

語源はギリシア語のエクソティコスexōtikos(〈異国の，外来の〉の意)で，異国趣味もしくは異国情緒と訳されている。本来は自国に見られない風土や風俗への漠然たる好奇心から始まったものと思われるが，芸術上の趣味，もしくは時代的風潮としては，それぞれ特定の地方への関心が強く情緒化されたものであり，場合によってはこれに，自国の環境から離脱したいとする現実逃避の気分が結びつく。たとえば日本の室町末期から安土桃山期にかけての南蛮趣味は，困難な貿易の相手国であり技術的先進性をもつ西欧諸国への素朴な現実的関心が，やがて西欧人の風俗への情緒的関心に転じ，さらにキリスト教の流入にともなって強烈なあこがれの色をも帯びるにいたったものと思われる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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