Missionary Activity of A. G. Ibragimov (1857–1944) in Japan

Abstract

The paper describes missionary work of A. G. Ibragimov in Japan and his relations with various strata of Japanese society during that period. The main works in Japanese are those of Japanese Turkologists: Misawa Nobuo, Komatsu Hisao and others, including those whose research work focuses on the history of the Ottoman Empire. Ibragimov visited Japan three times. Very little information is available about the first and the second visits; however, the third visit is described in considerable detail in his own diaries, among other things. His communication with the Japanese (who were traditionally considered ardent nationalists) aroused as much interest as his communication with representatives of the ruling class, which, as many researchers believe, could have influenced Japanese politics in 1930s. Ibragimov’s social circle included: Ohara Bunkei, the founder of the Ajia Gikai and the first Japanese Muslim; Toyama Mitsuru, the founder of the Gen’yosha and the leader of the Japanese right-wing movement; Nakano Jotaro (Tenshin), a Japanese thinker and one of the ideologists of the Ajia Gikai; Kono Hironaka, a member of the lower house of the Japanese parliament and the Minister of Agriculture and Trade 1915–1916; Inukai Tsuyoshi, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Education as well as the Prime Minister of Japan during the last years of his life; many other representatives of the upper class, including close associates and members of the imperial family. Ibragimov’s activities lead to the emergence of the first Muslim societies in Japan; many representatives of the Japanese nobility and ordinary people converted to Islam and even performed Hajj. Tokyo saw the construction of one of the largest mosques in Japan. It may be argued that the Japanese society witnessed a spark of interest in Islam; moreover, Japan established ties with Muslim countries in the Middle East. He contributed to the establishment of Pan-Asian societies, which functioned until the end of World War II. He was engaged in public awareness campaign as well as teaching: one of his students was Izutsu Toshihiko, the greatest Japanese specialist in Islamic studies, a polyglot and professor of the University of Tokyo.