Interdisciplinary Practice of the History of Emotions— A Discussion Centering on the Development of the History of Emotions in Japan

The history of emotions has emerged as a rising school of historiography around the world. Japan is no exception; its research on the history of emotions compares favorably with that of the West. The development of the history of emotions in Japanese historiography is related to the modern professionalization of its historiography. Since the end of the 19th century, “journalistic historians” (Shinbun shika) and “popular historians” (Minkan shika) have been active outside of academic historiography. After World War II, with the help of ethnography and anthropology, the development of “people’s history” (Minshūshi) gained momentum, and there were close exchanges with the French Annales school of Alain Corbin’s study of the history of the senses and sensibility. Since the 21st century, the history of emotions has further developed in Japan, which is closely related and complementary to the marked progress of emotion studies in other disciplines. The interdisciplinary approach reflects the commonalities of the history of emotions as well as the characteristics of Japanese scholarship, providing a practical example of the history of emotions that is worthy of reference and learning for the Chinese academy.