Renaissance Culture and Japan’s Christian Century (1550–1650)
A research project of the Japanese Association for Renaissance Studies (JARS)
From the fifteenth to the seventeenth century, Europe underwent a remarkable intellectual transformation, often called the Scientific Revolution. Meanwhile, Japan experienced its first direct encounter with Western culture and science.
Renaissance Culture and Japan’s Christian Century is a project that aims to explore European intellectual history during this period and its impact on Japan. Its main targets are early modern concepts of nature and the human being, which provided the foundation
of modern Western civilization, namely:
1. the transformation of the medieval tradition,
2. the formation of a new type of knowledge and learning, and
3. their influence on Japan.
Through this project, we seek to advance the discipline of intellectual history in Japan and help young researchers gain international exposure.