Motoori Norinaga
Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801) was a prominent Japanese scholar during the Edo period, known for his contributions to Kokugaku, a school of thought focused on Japanese classical literature and culture. Born in Matsusaka, he faced early challenges after the death of his father, which led his mother to prioritize his education in various disciplines, including medicine. However, Motoori's true passion lay in literature, prompting him to study under Confucian scholar Hori Keizan in Kyoto and later pursue his interests independently.
Throughout his life, Motoori developed a distinct literary philosophy centered around the concept of mono no aware, or the deep emotional connection to the impermanence of life. He believed poetry should reflect personal emotions rather than moral or political messages. His extensive study of Japanese classics culminated in his monumental work, the forty-four volumes of Kojiki-den, which he completed in 1798, analyzing the Kojiki, Japan's oldest collection of myths.
Additionally, Motoori's personal life included two marriages and several children, and he maintained a commitment to both his scholarly pursuits and his medical practice. His legacy is significant in the realm of Japanese literature and cultural studies, influencing future generations of scholars.
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Subject Terms
Motoori Norinaga
Scholar
- Born: June 21, 1730
- Birthplace: Matsusaka, Japan
- Died: November 4, 1801
- Place of death: Matsusaka, Japan
Biography
Motoori Norinaga, an eighteenth century Japanese scholar, was the oldest child of the two sons and two daughters of Sadatoshi, a merchant, and Katsu. His father died when Motoori was only eleven years old, and the surviving family closed the shop and moved into another home. His mother procured for Motoori a thorough education that included studies of calligraphy, archery, Noh songs, Chinese classics, and the tea ceremony, and the boy began an apprenticeship to a merchant. However, recognizing that her son’s talents and interests lay elsewhere, Katsu began encouraging Motoori, who loved to read, in medical studies. Motoori acquiesced to his mother’s plan for him but privately held on to scholarly aspirations.
At age twenty-two, Motoori traveled to Kyoto to live with and study under Confucian scholar Hori Keizan for one year, after which Motoori began studying medicine. When not studying, he indulged himself in attending plays, riding horses, and smoking, indulgences frowned upon by Katsu, who was still supporting Motoori as well as his younger siblings. Though Motoori continued to study medicine, he was more interested in literature, and during this time he wrote his Ashiwake obune, which previewed his developing perceptions of poetry and its purposes: he believed poetry should be an extension of the poet’s self and emotions, not an expression of moral or political opinions.
Motoori left Kyoto after six years and returned to his home in Matsusaka at the age of twenty-eight to begin his pediatric practice, continuing to independently study the classics in his spare time. During his first five years back in Matsusaka, Motoori participated in regular poetry gatherings at Reishoin temple and he lectured on The Tale of Genji, a Japanese classic he studied exhaustively. His interpretation of the work related to Motoori’s own literary philosophy of mono no aware, meaning “a deep feeling over things.” Motoori believed adamantly in experiencing the world directly and in composing poetry (or waka, in Japanese) out of mono no aware, and he revered the ancient Japanese for living sincere lives directed by their natural feelings, not by pretense or intellect.
At age twenty-nine, in 1760, Motoori entered into an arranged marriage with Murata Mika, but the union lasted only three months, after which Motoori married Kusabuka Tami in 1762. The two had a son, Haruniwa, in 1763, and another son and three daughters followed. Also in 1763, Motoori experienced a life- altering meeting with one of his professional idols, Kamo no Mabuchi, a famous scholar of the classics. Kamo no Mabuchi encouraged Motoori’s desire to study and analyze the Kojiki, the oldest book of Japanese myths, and instructed the protégé to first engage an understanding of ancient Japanese spirituality through examination of the Man’yoshu, a collection of early Japanese poetry. Motoori wisely followed his teacher’s advice, and his study of the Kojiki over the subsequent thirty years resulted in Motoori’s lifework: the forty-four volumes of Kojiki- den, which he completed in June 1798. Late in life, Norinaga worked with the lord of the Kii Province, while continuing with frequent trips to Kyoto to lecture.