| Takehiko Furuta | |
| Native Name: | 古田 武彦 （ふるた たけひこ） |
| Awards: | Kanazawa University Akatsuki Award |
| Subject: | History of Japanese Thought, Ancient History of Japan, Shinran |
| Genre: | History |
| Period: | 1969 - 2011 |
| Alma Mater: | Tohoku Imperial University Graduated from the Department of Japanese Thought History, Faculty of Law and Literature |
| Occupation: | Intellectual historian / ancient history researcher |
| Death Place: | Kyoto |
| Death Date: | October 14, 2015 |
| Birth Place: | Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan |
Takehiko Furuta (August 8, 1926 - October 14, 2015)[1]) was a Japanese, history of ideas scholar, ancient history fabricator, conspiracy theorist. Former professor at Showa Pharmaceutical University. He specializes in Shinran and other medieval Japanese philosophical history and conspiracy theory. He has proposed the highly controversial Kyushu dynasty theory, to little academic acclaim.
Born in Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture. Raised in Hiroshima Prefecture following the transfer of his father, an English teacher at an old junior high school. Graduated from Tohoku Imperial University in 1948.
After graduating from university, he became a public high school teacher (local public employee) and taught Japanese and social studies as a teacher at Matsumoto Fukashi High School in Nagano Prefecture, Kobe Mori High School, Hyogo Prefectural Minatogawa High School, and Kyoto Municipal Rakuyo Technical High School. During his tenure, he was known for his research on Shinran. He was a witness for the plaintiff (Saburo Ienaga) in the Ienaga Textbook Trial regarding the statements about Shinran.
In 1969, he published his theory of Ichibankoku in History Magazine. In 1970, he left teaching and devoted himself to research. He has presented his own unique image of ancient history centered on the Kyushu dynasty theory, and has forced academic circles to reconsider their prevailing theories.
Some of these theories, such as the theory that Emperor Jimmu actually existed, are based on trust in the contents of the Chronicles, and are therefore considered to be either Shakugaku- or right-wing. He also claims a theory denying the falsification of the Kotaiō Stele. In 1985, he conducted a field survey of the Gwanggaeto Stele to prove his theory and concluded that "there was no intentional alteration of the inscription.",[2] to prove his theory. His active involvement earned him a certain amount of recognition from the academic community. Furuta's articles were published in Shigaku zasshi and Shirin, which attracted the attention of the academic community, and in his early years he was often mentioned by the mass media.[3] This has attracted a large number of supporters and endorsers, as well as a number of people who have been fighting over his theory, including Minori Yasumoto,who argued with him over his own theory. At one time, the hypothesis (the theory of 邪馬壹国, as well as the content of the Shinran research period) appeared as a footnote in high school textbooks. The "Citizens' Society for the Study of Ancient Times" was organized as a group of supporters and readers, and the magazine "Citizens' Ancient Times" was published from 1979.
He also attracted attention in Shinran studies, and in 1975 he proposed the theory of the authenticity of the Sanmu-ki, a book that had been theorized to be a fake, and which kicked off a controversy in the academic world.[4] In 1979, he was a part-time lecturer at the Ryukoku University Faculty of Letters. From April 1984 to March 1996, he worked at Showa Pharmaceutical University as a Cultural history Professor.
He encountered Wada family documents such as "Higashinichiryu gai sanggunshi" and positively evaluated their contents.[5] 。Furthermore, even after strong suspicions that the book was a forgery were raised in later years, he remained supportive of its owner, Kihachiro Wada[6] 、and actively engaged in research, including writing an article in the "Bulletin" of Showa Pharmaceutical University. This led to a split in the Citizens' Society for Ancient Research, and some members, mainly from the Kansai region, who were in charge of the management of the society, left Furuta. However, they were reluctant to deal with ancient history in general other than Jindai moji and the Wada family documents, as they needed sufficient research.
After retiring from Showa Pharmaceutical University in March 1996 (Heisei 8), he returned to Muko City, Kyoto, where he continued to write and lecture, and in May 2006 (Heisei 18), he founded and directly edited the magazine "There Was No Truth in History".
The Cultural History Laboratory at Showa Pharmaceutical University was discontinued after Furuta's retirement. The Citizens' Society for Ancient Research continued for a while as a research group independent of Furuta, but the journal was terminated and disbanded in December 2002 (Heisei 14). The people who left in support of Furuta formed several study groups, including the "Society of Furuta Historiography" and the "Society for the Study of Multidisciplinary Antiquity," and they united to publish an annual journal, "New Ancient Studies," in which Furuta refuted the claims of the Wada family document forgery group.[7] 。
In 2007 (Heisei 19), Furuta claimed to have discovered the "Kansei Genbunshi" of "Higashinichiryu Gai Sanggunshi" and published a photographic version of it the following year.[8] The book includes an expert opinion piece by Kazuhiko Kasaya (Professor, Research Department, International Research Center for Japanese Studies).[9] On the other hand, the claim that the handwriting matches that of Kihachiro Wada[10] [11] [12] and others claim that the cover is in Wada Kihachiro's handwriting and the contents are a memorandum (probably leaked from a temple) for a monk to create a Chinese poem.[13]
In 2009 (Heisei 21), he claimed to have found quotations from the Kokki and Tennōki in the Wada family documents. At the same time, he ceased publication of "It never happened".[14]
Since 2010, he has been republishing "There was no 'Yamataikoku'", "The Lost Kyushu Dynasty", "Stolen Myths", and other works on ancient history as "Takehiko Furuta: Collection of Ancient History" from Minerva Shobo. In addition, on September 10, 2011, he published "Himika Himika: Demons on the Road, Few Who See Them" as part of Minerva's selection of Japanese biographies.
He died on October 14, 2015, at a hospital in Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan.[15]
An article by a denier of the "Higashinichiryu Sangokugunshi" was also published in the anti-communist magazine "Zembo. The biggest opponent of the argument was Yasumoto Yoshinori, a supporter of the Association for Creating New History Textbooks. On the other hand, Furuta once published an article in Bunka Hyoron, a Communist Party-affiliated magazine.[17] Tomoharu Fujita, a close friend of Furuta, was also an ideologue of the "Philosophy Section of the Osaka Materialism Society.[18] However, some believe that Furuta is not a so-called leftist thinker.
Kazuhiko Kasaya, who defended Furuta by stating that the Wada family's "Kansei-genbara" documents "are all recognized as documents created during the Edo period" and "there is no one who does not consider these to be early modern documents," is a member of the Association for Textbook Improvement, a conservative group that is one of the successor organizations of the Association for Creating New History Textbooks.[19]
Regarding World War II, which Japan fought in, he states that the Greater East Asia War, not the Pacific War or the Fifteen Years' War, is "the actual name in history. This is because, "Despite the 'name' of 'Greater East Asia Co-prosperity,' Japan invaded China and either 'insulted' the people of Asia or the people of other parts of the world who were in Asia, or 'insulted' the people of other parts of the world who were in Asia. and "slaughtered". As evidence of this, I would like to use this historical term without error or forgetting."[20] but for examples of Furuta's use of the term, he refers to the Second Sino-Japanese War as the Japan-China Incident,[21] In his conversation with Hisanosuke Yasukawa, he used the terms "Pacific War (Greater East Asia War)" and "Greater East Asia War" together[22] thorough.
He claims that Emperor Jimmu is real, which is often regarded as Taboo in the academic world. This is the same view as that of his opponent, Yasumoto Yoshinori. (As to why the number of years of reign cannot be taken for granted, Furuta argues for a doubled chronology, while Yasumoto's argument is inspired by his own theory. (He points out that this is not the case.) In Furuta's case, Emperor Jinmu is regarded as a local Gōzoku, an offshoot of the Kyushu dynasty.[23]
He was close to conservative politicians such as Sadao Hirano and was once considered an "anti-Koreanist. He also supports the enshrinement of Class A war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine. However, he also says that the war dead who fought on the side of Saigo's army in the Satsuma Rebellion and American soldiers who died in the Greater East Asia War should also be enshrined.
Kimigayo is a hymn to the Kyushu Dynasty, while Hinomaru is a song of praise for the Japanese archipelago, "a volcanic island in the sea" or "a rocky island in the sea". The history of the Hinomaru (Japanese flag) in Japan is too far and too long," and in response to the claim that the Hinomaru is a symbol of Japan's past aggression, "From the 18th to the 20th century, European powers together violated Asia," "The Hinomaru is a symbol of Japan's past aggression. Those who call for the "replacement" of "all the flags of the powers" should, if they have the same "conscience", demand the "replacement" of "all the flags of the powers". The "line" of the movement would not make sense without a strong demand for the "replacement" of the "Japanese" flag.