The early 20th century reception of Japanese spirituality among Spanish intellectuals: prejudice and bias in Miguel de Unamuno

Abstract

The war and the eventual victory of Japan over Russia in 1905 attracted the attention of the West. The press covered the succession of events with correspondents in the area of conflict and the curiosity about Japan grew dramatically, and proportionally to her new political relevance. This fact caused the arrival, both in Spain and the rest of Europe, of chronicles not only with military content but also with sociological interest, over which national debates were projected. Following the publication of a travel book in Japan by the journalist Gómez Carrillo in 1907, Miguel de Unamuno wrote two articles focused in some aspects that interested him, such as the vision of death, spirituality and the national spirit. His vision about these issues contrasted the opinion expressed by Ramiro de Maeztu against Unamuno in another press article. The topics considered by both intellectuals, despite of dealing with Japanese questions, may be interpreted as a transcription of the regeneracionist concerns of early 20th century thinkers.