This chapter explains how the authority of Asahi Shimbun and Iwanami Shoten reshaped modern Japan’s intellectual history, promoting left-wing dominance through academic influence and institutional prestige.

This chapter critiques the institutional power of major Japanese media and publishers in shaping academic careers, arguing that ideological conformity—rather than rigorous scholarship—became the path to prestige in postwar Japan.

2017-06-25
This is a continuation of the previous chapter.

Watanabe

What turned the mainstream of modern Japan’s “intellectual history” left-wing was the “authority” of Asahi Shimbun and Iwanami Shoten.

If one was featured by Asahi, a lecturer could become an associate professor, and an associate professor could become a full professor—such was the prevailing atmosphere.

Iwanami Shoten would also approach them, allowing them to publish in magazines and release books.

However, my own specialty is English studies, where the authoritative publishers are Taishukan and Kenkyusha.

Whether Asahi glared at me or Iwanami ignored me made no difference at all.

I published papers overseas and released books as well.

Because I was completely unaffected by Asahi or Iwanami, I was able to say whatever I wished.

On the other hand, in fields such as economics, history, and sociology, where Asahi and Iwanami wield strong influence, one can rise in status simply by saying things that please those two companies.

There are scholars who received the Order of Culture in this way.

One of them is Egami Namio, who advocated the “Horse-Rider Conquest Dynasty Theory.”

This theory claims that Japan’s imperial line came from the Korean Peninsula, but such a thing is impossible.

It is obvious that he barely read either the Kojiki or the Nihon Shoki.

After all, Japanese mythology states that the country was an “island” from the very beginning.

The reason Japan was known to be an island long before the Kojiki or Nihon Shoki were written is that people had been sailing around the seas surrounding the Japanese archipelago since ancient times.

In other words, the Japanese are a maritime people.

They have nothing whatsoever to do with horse-riding nomads.

And yet, Mr. Egami received the Order of Culture for his “Horse-Rider Theory.”

This chapter continues.