The Collection and Publication of Jindai moji by Kokugaku Scholar Hirata Atsutane : Focusing on the Changes in the Mode of Existence of Jindai moji in the Early Modern Period

This paper analyzes Hirata Atsutane's Kannahifumiden(神字日文傳) from the perspectives of collection and publication of Jindai moji. Kannahifumiden holds paramount significance in the history of Jindai moji in the early modern period, making it a subject of considerable interest in previous studies. However, prior research focused on Atsutane's discussions about Jindai moji and its alignment with Kokugaku philosophy without definitively concluding whether his Jindai moji' theory was a logical extension of Hirata Kokugaku or if the entire history of the early modern preriod Jindai moji should be viewed as a derivative of Hirata Kokugaku. Kannahifumiden not only compiles key contemporary Jindai moji-related materials and documents but also provides valuable insights into Atsutane's collection and investigation process for Jindai moji, as well as the scholarly collaborations among him and his associates. Consequently, in this study, while being mindful of potential errors and inaccuracies in Kannahifumiden we utilize this work as a starting point for investigating the history of Jindai moji of the early mondern period. In this paper, we aim to establish that Atsutane played a pivotal role in the history of Jindai moji and present arguments in three directions. Firstly, Jindai moji existed in the form of secret teaching associated with specific religious authority from the early modern era. Atsutane's Kannahifumiden transformed the mode of existence (mediation) of jindai moji from secret teaching to publications. Secondly, over time, jindai moji became recognized as a subject of investigation among a group of scholars. Many of the jindai moji included in Kannahifumiden were collected independently by Atsutane's associates out of their own scholarly interest, rather than being uniformly collected under Atsutane's direction. Thirdly, the core ideas and materials in Kannahifumiden closely resemble those in Sato Nobuhiro's Kannahifumikou(神字日文考). This implies that if Kannahifumikou was writtetn first, and Atsutane wrote Kannahifumiden by copying from that book, the traditional understanding that Atsutane's jindai moji theory was a result of Hirata Kokugaku would require significant revision.