The changing picture of the Hōreki Jiken

The Hōreki jiken of 1757-1759 was an important episode of Japanese history of the Edo period, traditionally seen as a harbinger of the Meiji restoration. Such interpretation, however, has been challenged by some historians who focused especially on rivalries and splits in the court aristocracy more than on court-bakufu relations. The article intends to present a balanced discussion of this historiographical debate, which was largely ignored by western scholars, by making use of a wide range of sources. The concluding remarks emphasize that much attention should be paid to the influence of religious and ecclesiastical factors as well, in the framework of the development of shintō in the xviiith century.