Kamo Mabuchi

Kamo Mabuchi, (born 1697, Iba, Japan—died Oct. 31, 1769, Edo [now Tokyo]), one of the earliest advocates of Kokugaku (“National Learning”), a movement to restore the true Japanese spirit by a return to ancient traditions and culture. The movement was revived in World War II in connection with resurgent nationalism.

Mabuchi was born into a branch of the old Shintō Kamo family, who served as priests of the famous Kamo shrine near Kyōto. Under the tutelage of Shintō priests, he began a study of Japanese literature. Through his studies he became convinced of the importance of the earliest collection of Japanese poems, the Man’yōshū (“Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves”), and of the collection of Shintō rituals called Norito. Insisting that these ancient works were free of foreign influence and that they were therefore representative of the pure Japanese spirit, he helped foster a revival of the early poetic style. His chief original work, the Kokuikō, contains a biting rejection of Chinese thought and literature and a hymnal glorification of Japanese antiquity. His writings, collected in 12 volumes, are made up primarily of commentaries on Old Japanese literature.