- Lecturer: Takii Kazuhiro (Professor, Nichibunken)
- Date: Thursday, July 16, 2015, 6:30-8:00 pm
- Venue: Lecture Hall, International House of Japan
- Language: Japanese (without English interpretation)
- Co-organized by International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken)
- Admission: Free (reservations required)
The first prime minister of Japan, Ito Hirobumi, has often been misjudged as an unprincipled authoritative tyrant yet recently his thought and works are being revaluated. In his book, Ito Hirobumi, Professor Takii calls Ito a “politician of intellect” and describes him as an extraordinary thinker. In this lecture, Professor Takii will articulate Ito’s thought from three themes, “constitution,” “parliamentarism,” and “international relations” to unravel its meaning. What did Ito try to accomplish in Meiji Japan? Did he succeed and what was he lacking? What should we draw from Ito’s life? Professor Takii will interpret Ito’s thought and discuss its contemporary relevance so as to think beyond that.
Takii Kazuhiro
Takii Kazuhiro became a professor at Nichibunken in 2013. Prior to his current position, he was a professor at the University of Hyogo and an associate professor at the Kobe University of Commerce. His publications include various award-winning books: The Meiji Constitution: The Japanese Experience of the West and the Shaping of the Modern State (I-House Press, 2007, Osaragi Jiro Prize for Critical Works and Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation Prize) and Itō Hirobumi: Japan’s First Prime Minister and Father of the Meiji Constitution (Routledge, 2014, Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities). Earned a Ph.D. in law from Kyoto University.
*I-House has started a series of forums in collaboration with Nichibunken to deepen the understanding of contemporary Japan from various perspectives.