The formation of the school of Turkology in Japan: stages and general characteristics

Abstract

This article examines the formation and development of Turkological scholarship in Japan. It argues that economic, political, and sociocultural factors played a significant role in the emergence of Turkology in Japan by the end of the nineteenth century. The development of Japanese Turkology can be divided into three main stages. The first stage began in the first decade of the twentieth century and continued until the outbreak of the Second World War. During this period, the work of Japanese Turkologists was based primarily on Chinese sources. The second stage, spanning the 1940s to the 1970s, witnessed the emergence of a new generation of Turkologists who undertook pioneering research into the languages, cultures, and histories of the Turkic peoples. The third stage began in the 1970s and continues to the present day. During this period, the number of scholars working in the field increased substantially, contributing to significant advances in both the scope and quality of Turkological research in Japan. Japanese Turkologists of the contemporary period have made important contributions to the in-depth study of Old Uyghur and Chagatai. They have acquired expertise in both ancient and modern Turkic languages and have conducted extensive research into the history, culture, and lifeways of the Turkic peoples, reflecting a distinctive characteristic of Japanese Turkological scholarship. The universities of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hokkaido played a particularly important role in the development of Turkic studies in Japan, accumulating substantial scholarly expertise and institutional experience. The collapse of the Soviet Union facilitated access to previously restricted archival materials, thereby opening new opportunities for the development of Turkic studies in Japan. In recent decades, Japanese scholars have shown growing interest in the history of the medieval Turkic peoples and the Golden Horde period. Their research is characterized by an evolutionary approach to political consolidation, particularly among nomadic Turkic groups. Mori Masao, Yamada Nobuo, and Hayashi Toshio, for example, examined the transformation of nomadic clans and tribes into political confederations during the pre-Mongol period. Several major studies have also been devoted to the Turkic Khaganate, including Mori Masao's two-volume monograph Studies on the History of the Ancient Turks. Naito Midori's History of the Western Turks likewise represents a significant contribution to the field. Overall, the works of Japanese scholars such as Mori, Yamada, Hayashi, Maeda, and Naito have contributed substantially to the study of the history and culture of the Turkic peoples. The contribution of Japanese Turkologists to the international development of Turkic studies continues to expand.