Hakuseki Arai was a historian as well as a statesman of the Tokugawa Shogunate who served to the sixth Shogun Ienobu 家宣 and the seventh Shogun Ietsugu家繼. As a historian he wrote such historical works as "Hankampu" 藩翰譜 "Dokushiyoron" 讀史餘論 "Koshitsu" 古史通 and " Koshitsuwakumon " 古史通或問. Furthermore, his historical science was excellent in method and interpretation. He collected historical meterials from various sources adopting linguistic and archaeological methods and elucidated the ancient history of Japan which had been previously a mystical interpretation by Shintoist authors. Indeed, he wrote the ancient Japanese history as a human history. In other words he used a positive method to reveal the historical facts. It goes without saying that his realism was a result of the Confucian culture. At the same time, however, his realistic method of thinking came from his nature. This may be learned from his opinions and attitude concerning such matters as religions, literature and education. However, his nature also included such elements as those which characterized or restricted the aforesaid realism. The elements in question were his feudalistic idea as a Shogun's retainer and Confucianism which he had studied hard from his boyhood. In short, he had a method peculiar to himself in studying history, and bold and distingushed opinion in interpreting historical facts. Accordingly, Arai's method was by far superior to those of other historians of his days. Thus, he may be recognized as one of the forerunners of the modern historical science in Japan. However, he could not emancipate himself from the restrictions of his time his education and of his status in the Shogunate Government.

慶應義塾創立百年記念論文集