The study of the medieval history of Europe in Japan

Abstract

The historical method born in Europe was transplanted to Japan by Ludwig Riess, who taught at Tokyo University for fifteen years from 1887 to 1902. The study of European history as an academic pursuit started in earnest under his direction and teaching, and the first generation of medievalists taught and trained by his pupils started their careers in the 1920s. Other independent or subsidiary centres of medieval studies multiplied after this and there are more than ten universities at present where not only the teaching of the medieval history of Europe, but also the training of medievalists are actively pursued. At an earlier stage, topics from social and economic history, and agrarian history in particular, were preferred. From the late 1960s onwards topics gradually diversified, and constitutional and political subjects, and especially urban history, attracted more attention from students than they had done until then. In recent years works on social history have been appearing, and there is hope that Japanese students working on medieval Europe will contribute more actively to the international academic community in this field in the near future.