Portraying the ‘Chosen Samurai’: The Creation of an Idealized Image of the Japanese in 16th-Century Jesuit Printed Works
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This article explores the creation and dissemination of an idealized portrayal of the Japanese
in 16th-century Jesuit writings. Led by Alessandro Valignano, the members of the
Society of Jesus depicted the Japanese as a sophisticated, rational, courteous, and virtuous
people, ideal for conversion to Christianity. This idealized portrayal, primarily shaped
through a systematic comparative process, positioned the Japanese favorably relative to
other Asian nations and, in certain aspects, to European culture. However, the private
correspondence of the Jesuits reveals a more nuanced and critical view of the Japanese,
exposing a clear divergence between public and private discourses within the Ignatian
order. By examining an extensive catalog of Jesuit texts intended for public dissemination
and comparing them with a selection of personal opinions conveyed through the private
writings of certain missionaries, the article sheds light on an overlooked aspect of Jesuit
textual production and the broader implications this had on the Jesuit mission in Japan,
as well as its role in shaping early European perceptions of this country and its people.
Christianity; Japan; Alessandro Valignano; Society of Jesus; Public vs Private Discourses
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