Kangakukigen (漢学紀源)

Kangakukigen is a history book of the study of the Chinese classics written by Sueyasu IJICHI of Satsuma domain in the late Edo Period. Five volumes.

It seems that the book was written in the period between 1812 and 1841 when he was moved back to the main land and confined after he was implicated in the Kinshiroku-kuzure affair (the family feud in Satsuma domain in 1808) and exiled to a remote island.

Volume 1 deals with the history of Confucianism in Japan from the ancient times to the prosperity stage of Gozan Bunka (culture of the Five Official Temples between the end of the Kamakura Period and the Muromachi Period) such as the age of Empress Jingu which was thought in the author's day to be the time when Confucianism was introduced to Japan, then Jofuku, Wani (Wang In), Prince Shotoku, AWATA no Mahito, KIBI no Makibi, SUGAWARA no Michizane and Shushin Gido, Volume 2 deals with the period from Gozan Bunka to the appearance of Genju KEIAN who brought prosperity to the culture of Confucianism in Satsuma domain, Volume 3 deals with the activity of Tadayoshi SHIMAZU and Bunshi NANPO who tried to develop Satsunangaku school (school of Neo-Confucianism in Satsuma) and Confucianism in early Edo period, and Volume 4 deals with the history of Shoryu-ji Temple (in current Ibusuki City) which was the center of Satsunangaku school and the history of Confucianism in Satsuma domain after the Genroku and the Kyoho Era, but this volume is unfinished. Volume 5 is the supplement, and it deals with his own Confucianism history such as the letters between Issai SATO.

[Original Japanese]