The effect of Guizot’s thought on Japan in the end of Edo period ‐ how his essay on civilization had come to Japan globally

Professor Atsuko Kawata, Faculty of Contemporary Life Sciences, Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University, Japan, is exploring the nation’s (public) power impacts of different individuals on a country’s citizens, including how they affect societal structures and gender roles, especially through educational system. During her PhD studies, Kawata discovered Naito Masu; a pioneer of women’s education in Yamanashi Prefecture in the Meiji period. A woman occupying a leading role in education was unusual for the time, which fascinated Kawata. Masu challenged the beliefs of the time, which were that Japanese women didn’t need knowledge or education, and set about championing for change. During her research on Masu, Kawata also discovered that in the Meiji period people believed that neither state nor religious power should subordinate the inner self of human beings. This sparked an interest in uncovering how this belief entered society and this led to Kawata’s current research on unpicking the gender structure that has come about since the Meiji period in modern Japan and the influence of French politics and governance. Kawata looked at the introduction of French law at the beginning of the Meiji period. She also began investigating the influence of French Minister of Public Education François Guizot ‐ and his desire to civilise Asia ‐ on Japan. She is exploring the impact of his thought, including his beliefs about civilisation, which influenced on the concepts of ‘Oyake’ (public) and ‘Watakushi’ (private), in Japan.