会長の挨拶 (2011-2015)

日本(西)スラヴ学研究会第 4 代会長 土谷直人

 

 1980 年代前半に、木村彰一東京大学名誉教授・早稲田大学教授、吉上昭三東大教授、千野栄一東京外国語大学教授、飯島周跡見学園女子大学教授を中心に、ポーランドやチェコスロヴァキアへの留学経験者が集まって、「西スラヴ学研究会」の構想がまとまり、準備会が開かれ、1984 年研究会の発足を見た。1985 年 2 月に、木村教授古希記念祝賀会兼『古代教会スラブ語入門』出版記念会が催され、会の結束がさらに高められ、翌年『西スラヴ学論集』の創刊号が出版された。当時会員は 17 名であった。

  この「西スラヴ学研究会」構想段階からすでに 30 年余りが経過した。取分け 1989 年のベルリンの壁の崩壊、その後のソ連の解体及び東欧世界の革命と変革の結果、旧社会主義国との行き来が遥かに自由になり、またスラヴ民族の国々への留学生も増加して、日本におけるスラヴ学研究一般、そして我々の研究会も長足の進展を見せ現在に至っている。

 こうした事情を背景に、研究会の重要な転換点となったのは、2012 年 6 月である。この時「西スラヴ学研究会」は、漸く増加をみせた南スラヴの研究者、リトアニア、ハンガリーを初めとするスラヴ近隣諸国の研究者を含めて、初期の創立者たちの意向であった「日本スラヴ学研究会」という名称に発展的に脱皮を遂げた。

 この間の研究会の主な業績については、研究会の沿革に詳細を譲るが、優れた個人的努力の成果が見られることは勿論の事、一般読者を対象としたものでも、『ポーランド文学の贈り物』、『文学の贈物』、『ポケットのなかの東欧文学』などの浩瀚な翻訳集が編まれ、会員が多く参加していることはわれわれの誇りとするところである。

  現在の我らの学会員は 90 名近くにまで増え、カバーする研究範囲、研究深度とも中堅及び若い世代の努力により、ますます広く深く、発展の度を加えている。

 最近の研究会の方向、意向としては、次の点が挙げられる。

 第一に、若き研究者の留学が以前に比べ容易になり、単に文学や言語専攻だけでは無く、カルチュラルスタディーズ、民俗学、美学や社会学を専攻する学徒も増えているにも拘らず、研究発表の場が相変わらず少ない現状から、スラヴないし中欧東欧研究者の自由な研究発表の場を堅持し、さらに拡充する。

 第二に、スラヴ圏、中欧東欧諸国からの学者、研究者、作家、ジャーナリストの来日が増え、彼らの講演、特別講義やシンポジウム発表を、時には他の学会や大学との共催で、直接研究会で聞く事ができるようになったが、そうした機会をさらに拡充し、交流を深める。

 第三に、諸外国のスラヴ学の研究者との研究の連携や学会研究会同士の連携を促進すること。この意味で、研究対象国の言語のみならず、ますます媒介言語としての英語の重要性を認識することが必要である。

 

 これらが、大きく外に向かって開かれた「日本スラヴ学研究会」の現状である。若い有能な将来の日本のスラヴ学を背負って立つ研究者のさらなる参加を切に願って、簡単な挨拶の筆を擱きたいと思う。 


President's message

Naoto TSUCHIYA

 

The concept of a “Society for the Study of Western Slavic Languages and Literatures” was formed in the early 1980s when a group of Japanese who had been exchange students in Poland, Czechoslovakia and other countries got together with Professors Shoichi Kimura (The University of Tokyo [Emeritus] and Waseda University), Shozo Yoshigami (The University of Tokyo), Eiichi Chino (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) and Itaru Iijima (Atomi University). After preparatory meetings, the Society was launched in 1984. The organization further solidified in February of 1985 when a celebration was held to commemorate both Professor Kimura’s 70th birthday and the publication of An Introduction to Old Church Slavonic. The following year saw the publication of the inaugural edition of Slavia occidentalis Iaponica . At that time, the society consisted of seventeen members. 

 

More than thirty years have now passed since the days when the “Society for the Study of Western Slavic Languages and Literatures” was in the planning stage. One of the most important things for us during that time was the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, with the subsequent breakup of the Soviet Union and revolutionary changes in Eastern Europe. Because of those events, travel to and from the former socialist countries as well as contacts with people there became much freer, and the number of Japanese studying in Slavic countries increased. Slavic studies in Japan made great strides forward, as did our Society, bringing us to where we are today. 

 

It is against that background that the “Society for the Study of Western Slavic Languages and Literatures” reached an important turning point in June of 2012, when, in fulfillment of its founders’ original intentions, it was expanded and renamed the “Japan Society for the Study of Slavic Languages and Literatures,” now including a growing number of scholars studying the Southern Slavic group as well as those studying Lithuania, Hungary and other “Slav neighbour” countries. 

 

I would like to mention some of our Society’s recent major achievements although I will have to leave the details to our record keepers. We have of course seen the results of outstanding efforts by various individuals. We are also very proud of our members’ participation in the compilation of large-volume anthologies of Slavic literature in translation. These include Treasures of Polish Literature, Literary Gems, A Pocket Edition of Eastern European Literature, and other volumes that were published not only for scholars but with the general public in mind.

 

Our Society’s membership has grown to nearly ninety people. Thanks to the efforts of both our long-standing members and our younger generation, our scholarship and research is becoming broader in terms of the range of topics covered, and deeper as well. We are becoming better developed. 

 

I would also like to add a few words about our Society’s current direction and intentions. 

 

First, it is now easier than before for young scholars to go abroad, and the subjects they focus on have expanded beyond language and literature to include cultural studies, ethnology, aesthetics, social studies and more. But even so, venues for them to present the results of their research remain limited. So we will be working to maintain and expand venues for the free presentation of research by students of Slavic studies as well as by those studying Central and Eastern Europe. 

 

Secondly, more scholars, researchers, writers and journalists from Slavic and other Central and Eastern European countries are now coming to Japan. Although it is possible to hear their lectures, special talks and symposium presentations at our conferences or those jointly organized with other study associations or universities, we want to further expand such opportunities and deepen our contacts with these people. 

 

Thirdly, we want to promote joint research with Slavic studies scholars in other countries as well as linkages with foreign study societies and associations. This means that in addition to the languages of the countries we are studying, we will have to become more aware of the importance of English as a common language of communication.

 

I hope that the above has served as an introduction to the Japan Society for the Study of Slavic Languages and Literatures. We are a very open, outward-looking organization. In closing, I sincerely invite young, capable scholars, those who will carry Japanese Slavic scholarship into the future, to join with us in our efforts.