Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 68 (2014) award
Fumihiko Sueki
すえき ふみひこ
Sueki Fumihiko
Pen Names:
Bunmao（Pen name used for some publications (e.g., the 'Boku no Tetsugaku Modoki' books)）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1949-09-06 （Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Kofu, Yamanashi (birthplace) → Tokyo (work/residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Buddhist studies scholar, University professor, Researcher, Author, Tanka poet
- Active Years
- 1973-
- Affiliations
- University of Tokyo, International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken), The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Toho Research Association
- Memberships
- Association for Comparative Thought (President, from 2011), Japan Association for Indian and Buddhist Studies
- Influenced By
- Yoshirō Tamura, Kyōsei Hayashima, Hajime Nakamura
- Influenced
- Rei Nishimura
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamanashi Prefectural Kofu Daiichi High School | — | — | — | 1965-1968 | Japan |
| University of Tokyo | Faculty of Letters | Department of Indian Philosophy | 学士（文学） | 1969-1973 | Japan |
| University of Tokyo Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology | Doctoral Program | Religious Studies / Intellectual History | 博士（文学） | 1974-1978（単位取得退学）、1993（学位取得） | Japan |
Yamanashi Prefectural Kofu Daiichi High School
Period:
1965-1968
Year of Graduation:
1968
Country:
Japan
Began composing tanka during high school
University of Tokyo
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Indian Philosophy
Degree:
学士（文学）
Period:
1969-1973
Year of Graduation:
1973
Country:
Japan
Initially enrolled in Philosophy, later switched to Indian Philosophy
University of Tokyo Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology
Doctoral Program
/ Religious Studies / Intellectual History
Degree:
博士（文学）
Period:
1974-1978（単位取得退学）、1993（学位取得）
Year of Graduation:
1993
Country:
Japan
Left doctoral coursework in 1978 after completing credits; later awarded PhD in Literature in 1993 by dissertation submission
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (68th) | Encyclopedia of Buddhism (co-editor) | 企画部門 | Mainichi Newspapers | 受賞 |
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (68th)
Work:
Encyclopedia of Buddhism (co-editor)
Category:
企画部門
Organization:
Mainichi Newspapers
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
A History of Japanese Buddhism: An Intellectual History Approach
1992 Scholarly monographA systematic study reexamining the history of Japanese Buddhism from the perspective of intellectual history, aiming to read shifts in Buddhist thought in terms of deeper spiritual history.
Japanese Buddhist historyIntellectual historyReligious history
Encyclopedia of Buddhism
2014 Reference encyclopediaA comprehensive reference work covering a wide range of topics on Buddhism. Sueki served as a co-editor; regarded as a general reference resource.
BuddhismTerminologyIntellectual history
Buddhism vs. Ethics
2006 Essays / Popular introductionA set of essays reexamining the relationship between Buddhism and ethics, containing critical and explanatory perspectives accessible to general readers.
EthicsBuddhist thoughtContemporary thought
Reading the Buddhist Scriptures: A Buddhist History Beginning from Death
2009 Scholarly / explanatoryAn attempt to reconstruct Buddhist history through close readings of sutras, proposing readings centered on death and otherness.
Sutra interpretationDeath and spiritualityReligious history
Modern Japan and Buddhism
2004 Scholarly monographA study discussing the development and intellectual transformations of Buddhism in modern Japan, paying attention to modern and contemporary Buddhist thought.
Modern BuddhismIntellectual historySociety and religion
Bibliography
- A History of Japanese Buddhism: An Intellectual History Approach
- Studies in the Intellectual History of Japanese Buddhism
- Study of Early Heian Buddhist Thought: The Formation of Annen's Thought
- Buddhism: A History of Thought in Language
- Words and Worlds in Disintegration: A Challenge from Buddhism
- Reading the Hekiganroku
- On the Formation of Kamakura Buddhism: From the Standpoint of Intellectual History
- Introduction to Nichiren: A Thought that Strikes the Present World
- Gods and Buddhas in the Medieval Period
- Essays on Meiji Thinkers: Rethinking Modern Japanese Thought I
- Modern Japan and Buddhism: Rethinking Modern Japanese Thought II
- Buddhism vs. Ethics
- A History of Japanese Religion
- Introduction to Buddhism as Thought
- Encyclopedia of Buddhism (co-editor)
- Reading the Buddhist Scriptures: A Buddhist History Beginning from Death
- Essays on Pure Land Thought
- Introduction to Japanese Buddhism
- Shinran: Rulers and Subjects, Against the Dharma
- Reading Japanese Thought
- Modern Buddhism as Thought
- Reading Classical Literature through Buddhism
- Philosophy of the Dead and Spirituality
- Medieval Zen: Reconstructing Buddhist History
- Not Despair but Hope: Philosophy for Living Tomorrow
Translations by Author
- Modern Japanese Translation of the Hekiganroku (editor/lead translator)
- The Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism (supervising translator/editor)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Analytical and logical academic proseIntellectual-historical and comparative approachClear, accessible explanations for general readers
- Recurring Motifs
- History of Japanese BuddhismDeath and spiritualityOtherness and ethicsModernization and religion
Legacy
Fumihiko Sueki is a prominent scholar in Japanese Buddhist studies and Buddhist studies more broadly; his intellectual-historical reexaminations have had substantial academic impact. Through teaching, editorial work and writing accessible introductions he has bridged scholarship and the public, though some public statements (e.g., regarding the 2011 earthquake) provoked controversy.
Academic Societies
- Association for Comparative Thought
- Japan Association for Indian and Buddhist Studies
Archives
- International Research Center for Japanese Studies (researcher page / archives)
- University of Tokyo Library (research holdings)
Quotes
-
The Great East Japan Earthquake is a divine punishment for Japan.
Source: Chugai Nippo (op-ed), April 26, 2011 (2011) -
Rather than conventional intellectual history, I seek to interpret the underlying spiritual history present in the Japanese people.
Source: Writings and scholarly essays (summary)
Trivia
- His father, Takehiro (Tsuyoshi?) Suemiki, was a philosopher (末木剛博).
- His younger brother, Yasuhiko (Kyohiko?) Suemiki, is a professor at Komazawa University (Chinese philosophy).
- His wife, Setsuko Sueki, is a tanka poet.
- He has composed tanka since high school and participated in the magazine 'Cosmos'.
- Used the pen name 'Bunmao' for some publications