‘일본의 신부 사건’의 재고찰 - 일본 메이지시대 그리스도교 지식인의 국가와 젠더

Abstract

This study introduces a context analysis of the so-called “Japanese Bride Incident” from the gender-centric perspective, while giving considerations to the historical context of the Meiji period during which Japanese society underwent a growing shift toward conservatism. It focuses on what Tamura Naoomi tried to unveil in his comparison of American women and their roles in families to those of Japanese women based on what he observed during his stay in the United States. Rather than giving emphasis to the socio-political context, this article focuses on the context as well as his style of writing in unraveling why, instead of gaining acceptance by the audience, his writing and propositions were met with such severe criticism that the church was led to excommunicate him. A significance of this study is that it deals not only with “The Japanese Bride” and the related controversies at that time. It also analyzes the context of his earlier publication, “The American Bride.” Tamura argued that the contrasting statuses of American and Japanese women were embedded in the differences between Christian and non-Christian states, and he placed particular emphasis on the effects of Buddhism in Japan. One of the fundamental triggers that became the cause of “the incident” was that, unlike in “The American Bride,” in “The Japanese Bride” he hardly put forward his perspectives on “Christianity.” It seemed as if the comparison was between “America” and “Japan” instead of “Christian” and “non-Christian” states. Not only did his writing fail to follow chronological order, but his inappropriate use of humor invited distrust in his intention, and the inaccurate use of words and unsubstantiated generalizations, as well as the fact that it was written in English, hindered the objective and unbiased approach to the concept of “bride.” Lastly, it can be pointed out that Japanese churches, which were desperate to fend off suspicions and attacks on Christianity at that time, had no interests in the “realities” of women in Japan and America, which, despite a number of problems and errors in Tamura’s writings, had some degree of unassailability.