Ryuzo Torii (鳥居 龍藏; May 4, 1870 – January 14, 1953) was a Japanese
anthropologist
An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...
,
ethnologist,
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
, and
folklorist. Torii traveled across
East Asia
East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
for his research. He is known for his anthropological research in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
,
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and other countries.
Described by Terry Bennett as "a pioneer in the use of the camera in anthropological fieldwork," Torii is believed to have inspired researchers, including
Ushinosuke Mori, to make use of photography in their research. Torii first made use of a camera while conducting fieldwork in North-East China in 1895.
Later, in the 1900s, Torii was assisted in his research by Mori, who acted as his interpreter.
Early life
Torii was born into a merchant family on the island of
Shikoku
is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...
, in the
Tokushima
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...
quarter of ''Higashi Senba-chō'' (東船場町). Torii received formal education through second grade, and left school at age seven.
From an early age, he was a passionate collector of artifacts of all kinds, though he showed little interest in schoolwork. He eventually left school, until a teacher (Tominaga Ikutarō:富永幾太郎) convinced him to complete his schooling. One of his hobbies was local history, and he pursued research in his home region.
He began writing articles on anthropological topics as a teenager. These came to the attention and appreciation of
Tokyo Imperial University (TIU) professor of anthropology Tsuboi Shōgorō (坪井正五郎). Shōgorō took an interest in him, and went to
Tokushima
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...
to advise Torii to study anthropology. Acting on Shōgorō's advice, Torii moved to Tokyo at age 20. Once there, Shōgorō hired Torii as a specimen classifier in the
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
research institute of the university in 1893.
Career
His early reputation came from his research on the native
Ainu people
The Ainu are an Indigenous peoples, indigenous ethnic group who reside in northern Japan and southeastern Russia, including Hokkaido and the Tōhoku region of Honshu, as well as the land surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk, such as Sakhalin, the Ku ...
of the
Kuril Islands.
Torii used eight different languages in his studies, including the
Ainu language. His article "Ainu people in Chishima Island", written in French, is a landmark in Ainu studies.
Torii spent most of his life in field-work (research). He insisted, "Studies should not be done only in the study room. Anthropology is in the fields and mountains." He believed that anthropological theories should be backed by empirical evidence.
Torii began to use sound recording for anthropology research in domestic research at
Okinawa Prefecture
is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...
.
Though Torii is famous for research performed outside of Japan, his research began in Japan where he studied many places, including his hometown,
Hokkaido
is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...
, and
Okinawa. During his time at
TIU, he studied Japan, on the invitation of various prefectures, villages, streets, etc. After completing his research in an area, he held an exhibition, lecturing, and revealed discoveries. The Torii style is research, exhibit, and lecture. In 1898 he became an assistant at TIU.
In 1895, TIU sent Torii to Northeast China to the
Liaodong Peninsula, his first overseas posting. In 1896, the university sent Torii to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
.
In 1899 he worked in Hokkaido and
Chishima Islands, studying the Ainu people, yielding a 1903 book ''Chishima Ainu, ''on the
Kuril Ainu.
In 1900, he completed the first ascent of Taiwan's
Mount Niitaka.
In 1905, he became a TIU lecturer.
In 1906, he was engaged by the Karachin Royal Family of
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
. Kimiko worked as a teacher at Karachin Girl-School. Torii became a professor at Karachin Boy-School.
In 1911, Torii conducted fieldwork in Korea. At the time Sada Sekino described an ancient tomb as a
Goguryeo
Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...
artifact. Torii pointed out that it instead belonged to
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
. This cost him friends since Sekino was a powerful figure at TIU. Torii proved that the
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...
had arrived in Korea at an early period.
In 1921 Torii earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from TIU.
In 1922 Torii became an assistant professor at TIU.
In 1924 Torii left TIU and established Ryuzo Torii Institute, staffed by his family members.
In 1928 Torii worked on establishing
Sophia University in Tokyo. It was the only foreign school there for many years. As a Catholic anthropologist, Torii did all procedures for Ryuzo Torii and succeeded in lifting it to a university level.
In 1937 he traveled to
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
and excavated the
sambaqui archeological site Morro do Bernardes, Jupuvura,
municipality of Iguape,
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
- with support from
Museu Paulista and botanist
Frederico Lange de Morretes.
In 1939 he joined the
Harvard–Yenching Institute
The Harvard–Yenching Institute is an independent foundation dedicated to advancing higher education in Asia in the humanities and social sciences, with special attention to the study of Asian culture. It traditionally had close ties to Harvar ...
, the top Institute for Asian studies in the US at the time as an "Invited Professor". A sister university of Harvard was named
Yenching University
Yenching University () was a Private university, private research university in Beijing, China, from 1919 to 1952.
The university was formed out of the merger of four Christian colleges between the years 1915 and 1920. The term "Yenching" come ...
in Peking, China, and was an American missionary school. The Japanese Army could not come into this university until the
Pearl Harbor attack. Torii was sent to the American area in China by the institute during the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...
, where his China anthropology studies reside.
["Life of Ryuzo Torii" by Torii's Memorial Museum]
Recognition
In 1920, Torii was honored for an
Ordre des Palmes Académiques of France. The award disappeared within the university.
In 1964 the "
Torii Memorial Museum" was established by
Tokushima prefecture, in the Naruto area. It is in a Japanese traditional castle on the top of
Myoken Mountain. Funds came from local people, showing their memory and love for Ryuzo Torii. In 2010 the Museum moved to
Tokushima city in the Forest of Culture area.
Personal life
In 1901, he married Kimiko, daughter of a
samurai
The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
in Tokushima. She was talented in music, language, and education.
In the wake of
Yoshino Sakuzō's criticism of Japan's imperial ambitions in
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
, Torii aligned himself with those who justified Japanese annexation on the grounds that the contemporary consensus worldwide in
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
,
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
and archaeology were that the Korean and Japanese people were the same race/people (''dōminzoku'').
See also
*
Inō Kanori
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torii, Ryuzo
1870 births
1953 deaths
People from Tokushima (city)
University of Tokyo
Japanese anthropologists
Japanese archaeologists
Japanese ethnologists
Japanese folklorists
Taiwanese aboriginal anthropologists