Keisai Asami

A Confucian scholar from the mid-Edo period. His name was Yasumasa, commonly known as Jujiro. Keisai was his pen name. He was from Takashima County, Omi Province (Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture). He was a student of Yamazaki Ansai, and inherited Ansai's pure Neo-Confucian academic style. Along with Sato Naokata and Miyake Shosai, he was known as one of the "Three Great Men of the Kimono School." When Ansai began to value Shintoism, he left his teacher's school, but later came to understand and respect his teacher's Shinto teachings. He was a stern and determined person, always carrying a long sword, and is said to have carved the four characters "red heart, serve the country" in seal writing on his shin guard. He wrote a great deal, including eight volumes of works that are known to have had a great influence on the development of the theory of loyalty to the emperor in the early modern period, such as "Ben Daigaku Hikongshi Zhisho Ben", "Loyalty and Filial Piety Ruisetsu", and "Seikenigen Will". He also had great respect for Kusunoki Masashige, and was known as Bounanken.

In later years, he respected Shintoism and devoted himself to educating his disciples, who never held any official positions. His disciples included Miyake Kanran and Wakabayashi Kyosai. He passed away on December 1, 1212 (Eighteenth Year of the Shōtoku Era). He was 60 years old.

[Shigemichi Taira April 18, 2016]

"The Origin of the Compilation of the Complete Works of Keisai Sensei," by Maida Masayoshi (included in "Augmented Edition of Yamazaki Ansai and His Disciples," 1943, Meiji Shobo)" ▽ "Research on the History of Early Modern Japanese Thought," by Hira Shigemichi (1969, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" ▽ "Study of Asami Keisai," by Kondo Keigo (1970/Augmented Edition, 1990, Shinto History Society)" ▽ "Collection of Asami Keisai," edited by Kondo Keigo and Kanemoto Masataka (1989, Kokusho Kankokai)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中期の儒学者。名は安正、通称重次郎。絅斎は号。近江(おうみ)国高島郡（滋賀県高島市）の人。山崎闇斎(やまざきあんさい)の門人で、闇斎の純正朱子学の学風を継承し、佐藤直方(さとうなおかた)、三宅尚斎(みやけしょうさい)とともに「崎門(きもん)の三傑」と称せられた。闇斎が神道を重んじるに及び師門を離れたが、のち師の神道説にも理解と尊信をもつに至った。ひととなりは厳毅、つねに長刀を帯し、脛巾(はばき)に「赤心報国」の4字を篆鐫(てんせん)（篆字を彫り刻むこと）したという。著述はすこぶる多く、『辨(べん)大学非孔氏之遺書辨』『忠孝類説』『靖献遺言(せいけんいげん)』8巻は、近世勤王論の発達に大きな影響を与えた著作として知られる。また楠木正成(くすのきまさしげ)を敬い、望楠軒(ぼうなんけん)とも号した。

　後年神道を尊び、生涯任官せず門人の教育に尽力した。門人に三宅観瀾(みやけかんらん)、若林強斎(わかばやしきょうさい)らがある。正徳(しょうとく)元年12月1日に没した。60歳。

［平　重道　2016年4月18日］

『舞田正養著『絅斎先生全集編纂の由来』（『増補　山崎闇斎と其門流』1943・明治書房・所収）』▽『平重道著『近世日本思想史研究』（1969・吉川弘文館）』▽『近藤啓吾著『浅見絅斎の研究』（1970／増訂版・1990・神道史学会）』▽『近藤啓吾・金本正孝編『浅見絅斎集』（1989・国書刊行会）』

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