Introduction

It is well known that Japanese thinkers, from medieval Buddhist scholars to 20th century thinkers such as Ōmori Shōzō and Kimura Bin, have developed highly original theories of time, which have given rise to lively interpretations both in Japan and elsewhere. But in more general terms as well, the presence of the past has made itself known, sometimes explicitly and sometimes tacitly, during different periods of the development of Japanese thought — the influences of the Japanese tradition on Kyōto school thought have often been discussed, and similarly are the ideas of past thinkers recently been found to make a valuable contribution to present debates, thus, for example, certain ideas of Dōgen have been co-opted by many ecological thinkers of our time both in the West and in Japan. However, the shadows of the past are not always beneficial, thus, for example, the political involvement of some Kyōto school thinkers continues to be an issue for their interpretation. Does the context of the past provide us with the most adequate framework for reading them in the present? These and other related issues should hopefully provide for a fruitful engagement with Japanese philosophical texts, both past and present.