근대 일본의 출판통제정책 연구 : 메이지 시대를 중심으로

Abstract

It is already noted that the ‘Meiji Restoration (明治維新)’ refers to a great revolution in the mid 1800's throughout the history of Japan, which aimed to overthrow several centuries of feudal system that had dominated Japan, but achieved an ultimate goal to establish an absolutistic unified state for the first time in Japanese history under the rule of Emperor System. The age of Meiji Restoration is a crucial period for building up a foundation of Japan's modernization which involved abolishment of feudalistic social position system, enforcement of conscription system, abolishment of many restrictions over industrial activities, revision of taxational system, nationalization of military and other major industries, governmental supports for large capital, and transplantation of Western civilization owing to the implementation of advanced educational system. Furthermore, this age opened up a good opportunity to establish an absolutistic state under the rule of Emperor System ultimately toward imperialist regime. In other words, the Meiji Restoration has been positively recognized as a foundation for Japan to establish its modern unified state, because it opened up a chance for Japan to develop modern capitalism (in economic aspect), begin to operate constitutional government (in political aspect) and promote modernization (in sociocultural aspect). On the other hand, this age paved a way for Japan to grow up as an imperial state in international aspect until it could implement Japanese absolutism of Emperor System throughout all fields of national structure. The Meiji Restoration produced a flourish wealth of publications required absolutely for modern Japanese regime to educate and illuminate people during its progress of implementation. On the other hand, however, it resulted in reinforced control policies including censorship over publications. The purpose of this study was to investigate legal systems that were enacted or enforced during the age of Meiji Restoration with regard to modern Japanese publications, so that it could examine potential effects of control policies (including licensing or censorship system) on publication industry of modern Japan. Furthermore, this study sought to investigate how imperial Japan's coercive policies could be quickened over the dawning of modern Korean publications (including enactment of modern Korean publication laws) under the rule of imperial Japanese.