The changing picture of the Hōreki Jiken
The Hōreki jiken of 1757-1759 was an important episode of Japanese history of the Edo period, traditionally seen as a harbinger of the Meiji restoration. Such interpretation, however, has been challenged by some historians who focused especially on rivalries and splits in the court aristocracy more than on court-bakufu relations. The article intends to present a balanced discussion of this historiographical debate, which was largely ignored by western scholars, by making use of a wide range of sources.