 Professor
Ueda Masaaki is a rarity among distinguished Japanese historians in his
method to elucidate ancient Japan in association with the history of East
Asia. Professor Ueda is highly esteemed at home and abroad for his far-sighted
and multifaceted approach in the study of ancient Japan and its culture,
which has culminated in a new historical view of Japan in the Asian context.
Professor Ueda was
initiated into the charm of the study on Japanese ancient culture as early
as in his student years when he studied under Mr. Orikuchi Shinobu and
Mr. Mishina Shoei. Since then he has committed himself to the study of
ancient Japan. His basic research method is to verify history from exhaustive
analyses of historical literature and documents. But the uniqueness of
his method lies in his interdisciplinary approach based upon his profound
knowledge about Japanese literature, mythology, folklore study, religion
history and archaeology to present the historical context of ancient Japan.
His research took a
new shape in the 1960s by introducing the ties between ancient Japan and
East Asia into the study on the formation of ancient Japanese societies.
Professor Ueda indicated the importance of Chinese and Korean cultures
as well as marine routes stretching out to Asia and the Pacific in terms
of how they influenced ancient Japan and its culture. For example, he
made a comparison between Japanese myths and those of the Chinese Continent
and the Korean Peninsula in his work "Nihon no Shinwa o Kangaeru"
(Giving Thoughts to Inquiring into the Japanese Mythology), in addition
to his interdisciplinary method comprised of history, folklore study and
archaeology. Through his studies, Professor Ueda has not only produced
a body of research work but also has established a new perspective in
regional history which describes the Japanese history in the Asian context.
Professor Ueda's contributions
are prominent at many academic international symposia on ancient East
Asia held in and out of Japan. His promotion of academic exchanges combined
with his scholastic interest has prompted him to play a key role to unite
historians and archaeologists in Asia. Thanks to his painstaking efforts,
Japan Society of Asian History was founded in 1990, the first international
society of its kind. Although Professor Ueda assumed the post as President
at the 6th congress of the Society held in Beijing in 1996, throughout
his career, he remains unchanged in his devotion to enhance mutual recognition
about history through solidarity among researchers in Asia and to thereby
pave the way for new dimensions of historical study.
Professor Ueda serves
important posts as Director of both the Koryo Museum of Art and Himeji
City Museum of Literature and as Chairman of Kyoto Human Rights Research
Institute. These posts allow him to inspire as much the community at large
in terms of social activities as his studies do the academic circle.
Professor Ueda Masaaki
has presented the formation of ancient Japanese societies in the East
Asian context. He has also made a great contribution to the promotion
of academic exchanges in East Asia and to the well-being of the Japanese
society by serving as a source of inspiration for building a link through
social activities. Given the scope of his accomplishments, Professor Ueda
Masaaki is truly worthy of receiving the Domestic Academic Prize of the
Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prizes. |
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