Research on The Formation of Daikichi Irokawa (色川大吉)'s Personal History (自分史)

This paper purports to investigate how Japan's “personal history (自分史)” was created. I analyze the writings of Daikichi Irokawa (色川大吉), the founder of “personal history” in Japan, to find his research perspective and methodology. Through this, I explore the formation process of Irokawa's “personal history.” After Japan lost the war in 1945, Irokawa became strongly aware of the need for research on humans and individuals in history through historical investigations and research results. Irokawa's research methodology starts from the subject of historical individuals active who are active in the real world, and seeks social and historical contacts to understand individuals and their thoughts. In research, “human excavation” describes individuals in history, expresses the meaning of their lives, and also aims for “human recovery.” Irokawa's “personal history” is based on the perspective of popular history and his own experiences. The central element of his personal history is the connection with the whole history.