著者

梅渓 昇

出版者

大阪大学文学部

雑誌

大阪大学文学部紀要 (ISSN:04721373)

巻号頁・発行日

no.8, pp.77-273, 1961-11

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'Gunjin chokuyu' was not only the moral support for modern Japanese military forces, but also together with 'Kyoiku chokugo' (教育勅語) the ideological support for the modern Japan-a 'tennosei kokka' (天皇制国家) with its dualistic state organization of 'kokutani' (国体) and 'rikkensei' (立憲制)-from the Meiji era down to the defeat of Japan in World War II. A study on the drafting of 'Gunjin chokuyu' of such historical significance was something entirely undreamt of. in prewar days, important as it was, on account of the lapse of academic freedom under the control of 'tennosei kokka', leading to total suppression, on the part of the military authorities, of the source of 'Gunjin chokuyu', defying whatever inquiry into the subject. Such being the case, the students at that time had to content themselves with a bare investigation of 'seishi' (聖旨) of the Emperor Meiji. As the result, their historical studies on the source arid process of drafting were nothing but nominal, because they had to go without any reference to the political and authoritarian implications in 'Gunjin chokuyu'. Indeed, those pre-war studies had to be carried out, quite independent of the political elements contributing to the absolute supremacy of that 'Chokuyu'. This is not the case with 'Meiji kempo' (明治憲法) or 'Kyoiku chokugo'; for the fundamental materials of the latter two were generally open to the public, and the precess of drafting of the two was actually being investigated even before the war. So much the less has been the fruit of the studies of 'Gunjin chokuyu'. The present writer has been fortunate enough to get access to the fundamental materials of 'Gunjin chokuyu', and in view of these extant conditions, has undertaken to study afresh all kinds of circumstances leading to the drafting of 'chokuyu' and political backgrounds of the drafting, and to clarify all the internal circumstances attending to the course of drafting, and furthermore to throw light on the historical meaning of the coming into being of 'chokuyu'. A study of the origin of 'Gunjin chokuyu' is indispensable in the history of the foundation of modern Japanese military, and particularly in making clear its characteristics, and at the same time, as 'chokuyu' had a great influence upon political, social and thought evolution of modern Japan, embodying as it did the ideas of 'tennosei kokka', any such study is important to define some specific characters of modernized Japan, and will give some suggestions in these days when we are in need of a doctrine of democratized military forces and the founding of a new outlook for the nation.