 Obayashi
Taryo, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, is one of Japan's
most distinguished and authoritative ethnologists, as well as a person
who, for half a century, has presented his views on the formation of Japan's
ethnic culture based on comparative studies with the cultures of the rest
of Asia, seeing it in the broader perspective and capturing it in the
context of world cultural history.
Professor Obayashi
entered the Faculty of Economics of the University of Tokyo, but the influence
he received from both ethnologist Oka Masao and cultural anthropologist
Ishida Eiichiro was so profound that he taught himself ethnology and,
after graduation, became an assistant at the Institute for Oriental Culture
of the University of Tokyo. In 1955, he went abroad to Europe and the
U.S., which were leaders in ethnological studies at that time. After studying
at graduate schools in Germany, Austria and the U.S., he received his
Ph.D. from the University of Vienna.
Professor Obayashi
has read extensively not only in his field of ethnology but also in related
areas which transcend time and region. Through his reading, he has acquired
an intensive and extensive knowledge of history, anthropology, and linguistics.
Being a perceptive, erudite, and learned scholar, he validates his research
on ethnology with the breath of disciplines he has studied and the depth
of his scholarship. He has clarified various cultural trends which are
integral parts of Japanese culture. To give an example, he explained the
essence of Japanese culture in detail by restructuring Japanese mythology
with his unique methodology. He used and examined myths to clarify the
lineage and characteristics of Japanese culture. Furthermore, by systematically
comparing Japanese myths with those of the world, he broke new ground
for ethnology. His research is supported by his insatiable quest for learning,
which always originates from and converges with Japanese culture through
the process of examining world cultural history. On that foundation, he
has produced meticulous comparative studies and continues to explore through
mythology what lies behind the values of each era and ethnic group at
their highest levels. His research methodology clearly demonstrates his
true worth in the field of ethnology. In 1961, when only 32 years old,
he published a famous book titled "The Origin of Japanese Mythology"
(Nihon Shinwa no Kigen), which has been read for nearly 40 years in its
several revisions.
For 28 years from 1962,
he taught students at the University of Tokyo, as professor of ethnology,
and contributed to the establishment and development of a chair of ethnology
at the University. In addition, he enlightened people on how interesting
ethnology could be through lectures and speeches. At the same time, he
has attracted many others to this new discipline by exhibiting an earnest
approach to learning. From 1982 to 1984, he served as President of the
Japanese Society of Ethnology. After his retirement from the University
of Tokyo, he taught at Tokyo Woman's Christian University, and contributed
greatly to the development of studies on northern peoples by filling the
important post of director of the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples.
Professor Obayashi's sincere and gentle nature attracts respect from students
and scholarly colleagues alike. Even now, he is still being invited as
a visiting professor to teach at universities in Europe and the U.S. This
clearly manifests his continuing international activities.
Professor Obayashi's
extensive research activities on ethnology both home and abroad and his
commitment to educating younger generations to become prominent researchers
in ethnology are just two of the clear indications of his tremendous contributions
to ethnological and mythological studies centered on Japan and Asia, and
thus make him a truly worthy recipient of the Academic Prize of the Fukuoka
Asian Culture Prizes. |
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