Frédéric Girard

Presentation

My researches are basically organized and focused on fundamental inquiries concerning Buddhist doctrines with a study on China-Japan cultural and linguistic transfers. From this, I develop applications of researches in specific fields, poetry, tea art, musics, iconology in which Buddhist mental schemes are active and give a privileged access though it is not a unilateral one as to understands these cultural phenomena. I intend to publish manuscripts on these topics.

My researches on Christianity in Japan concerns the introduction of philosophical ideas and religious reactions on the Japanese side including imitations and exclusions.

Research thematics

• Ancient and Medieval Buddhism, literary, iconological and doctrinal sources
• Patriarch-type and cultural-type figures personalities (Dōgen, Myōe, Shōtoku, Kūkai, Shinran, Suzuki Shōsan, Bankei, etc.)
• China-Japan transfers
• 16th-17th Christianity, cathecisms and acculturation. Predro Gomez’s Compendium in Japanese translation and interactions with Japanese religions
• Philosophical conceptions in premodern an modern times
• Poetry an poetical treatises
• Nō theater trough treatises
• Chanoyu through treatises
• Musics

CRCAO research programmes

• Essays “Following the Brush” (zuihitsu) : Collections of Thoughts and Observations concerning the Past and Present of Pre-modern Japan