Title: The Secluded Feelings in Tansou Hirose's Kanshi

Abstract: Tansou Hirose was a famous Confucianist, educator, and Kanshi poet. He devoted his entire life to education and was never a recluse. However, many of his Chinese poems reveal emotions associated with seclusion, which convey his respect for the hermits among ancient Chinese sages as well as his yearning for natural scenery and rural life. Tansou Hirose’s feelings of seclusion are closely related to the Edo period during which this isolated vision was prevalent among Japanese men of letters, and this also reflects his own educational experience. In addition, Confucianism, Taoism from China, and his disappointment with reality also contributed to his emotions of seclusion. The roots of his reclusive feelings lie in Taoism, which were formed after a deep understanding and acceptance of Chinese Confucianism and Taoism. His stance shows a solid grasp of and conforms with Chinese traditional ideas about reclusiveness.

Keywords: Tansou Hirose, Kanshi, reclusion, Japanese Confucianism, Sino-Japanese cultural exchange

Author: Man Li, Lecturer, Foreign Studies College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.