西村茂樹の漢字観に関する一考察 = A Study of Nishimura Shigeki's Perceptive on Chinese Character

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The present research analyzed 3 articles, 開化ノ度ニ因テ改文字ヲ発スベキノ論(1874), 日本の文学(1888), 国家文運の前途(1901), of Nishimura Shigeki (西村茂樹) to investigate how it has become possible that the ‘Chinese’ characters are defended as ‘Japanese’ characters in the modern Japanese society.
The biggest feature of 開化ノ度ニ因テ改文字ヲ発スベキノ論 is that Nishimura did not object to the abolition of Chinese characters, instead, he criticized it. However, given that the bases for advocacy of Chinese characters in later generations have already been cited in this article, it would be reasonable to consider that it was not any change in Nishimura's opinion about Chinese characters, but a change in the social situation at that time.
In 日本の文学, Nishimura strongly denounced the abolition of Chinese characters. He advocated Chinese characters on account of its "historicity." Furthermore, Japan's historical individuality was embodied in 'the Orient' through confrontation with the Occident. To note, Nishimura was not negative about the limitations of the Chinese charaters in this article.
In 国家文運の前途, Nishimura’s tone put much value on the "presentiality", so he argued that all the Chinese characters used currently are necessary. It is possible that Nishimura had a sense of crisis about the abolition of Chinese characters recurred on the first Sino-Japanese War.
Overall, the change of Nishimura’s opinion on Chines characters suggested the possibility that Japan in the Meiji period realized individuality through the "Oriental" in contrast to the Occident, and defended the Chinese characters, which are "Oriental characters".