Fujishima Ryōon’s Contribution to the 1897–1899 Movement for Establishing Buddhism as a Recognized Religion

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  • 一八九七―一八九九年の仏教公認教運動における藤島了穏の貢献
  • イチハチキュウナナ-イチハチキュウキュウネン ノ ブッキョウ コウニンキョウ ウンドウ ニ オケル フジシマリョウオン ノ コウケン

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<p>This paper is devoted to the study of Fujishima Ryōon 藤島了穏 （1852–1918）, a member of the Japanese Buddhist denomination Jōdo Shinshū Honganji-ha, and his contribution to the movement for establishing Buddhism as a “recognized religion （kōninkyō 公認教）. As I earlier explained, Fujishima’s role and theories have been overlooked until now. Earlier I focused on Fujishima’s time in France from 1883 to 1889, trying to shed light on what he studied there and when he became interested in church-state relations. This paper examines events a decade later when, following the revision of the “Unequal Treaties” signed with the Western powers decades earlier, authorities decided to permit foreigners to reside in all of Japanese territory. To counteract this, an active opposition movement emerged within the Buddhist community. As part of this movement, efforts to establish Buddhism as a recognized religion were revived, and Fujishima actively participated in the renewed movement.</p><p>It was previously unknown that Fujishima published several papers on this topic in the Honganji-ha journal Kyōkai Ichiran 教海一瀾 （later Honganji Shinpō 本願寺新報）. While examining the microfilms of the Kyōkai Ichiran stored at Tokyo University, I discovered at least five papers by Fujishima published in that journal between 1897 and 1899 related to this Buddhist movement. After reviewing their contents, I realized that they laid the foundation for his book New Treatise on Religion and State （Seikyō Shinron 政教新論）, published in 1899. Due to space limitations here, I only analyze the first text he published in the Kyōkai Ichiran in 1897, and explain why his presentation of the four models of Church-State relations was heavily influenced by the French scholar Adolphe Franck （1809–1893）.</p>

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