PhD student at the Department of Japanese History and Culture, Institute of Asian and African Studies, Moscow State University; lecturer at School of Oriental Studies, HSE
During the Edo period (1603–1867), Japanese thinkers adopted some elements of European geographical thought. The new view of the world included both traditional and Western scientific knowledge. The treatise “Nihon Suido Ko:” by Nishikawa Joken (1648–1724) is one of the earliest examples of this kind of synthesis. The work was important not only for the development of geographical thought, but also for the Japanese people’s self-perception, as the synthesis of knowledge from different sources aimed to determine Japan’s position in the world.
Keywords:
Nishikawa Joken; Edo period; history of geography
