Kazuaki MURA

Early Modern Japanese History

1) Early Modern Imperial Court

Research in this field focuses on the early modern imperial court, with an emphasis on the office structure of the court nobles (kuge) who governed and managed the court as a distinct social group. Particular attention is paid to the power tensions between the shogunate and imperial court, as well as between the emperor and retired emperor (jōkō). It also examines the process of establishing various systems, including their economic foundations, and their relationships with other social groups in the early modern period. Furthermore, it explores the nature of document administration in conjunction with spatial structures.

2) Wealthy Merchants in the Early Modern Period

Research in this field focuses on wealthy merchants in the early modern period, with a particular emphasis on the Mitsui family, one of the largest merchant houses of the time. There is a particular focus on the political dimension of the Mitsui family as a large organization connected to the shogunate, and investigation of the interrelationship between institutional design and internal conflicts and their connection to the power structure within the shogunate during the same period.

3) Early Modern Historiography

Research in this field focuses on the historical materials that serve as the foundation for study, examining how these documents were created and used, and how their styles were developed in connection with the structure of the groups that exchanged them and the contemporary context. Special attention is given to the under-researched historical documents of the imperial court and wealthy merchants.