Background
Ryūzō Torii was born on March 4, 1870 in the island of Shikoku, in the Tokushima quarter of Higashi Senba-chō (東船場町), into a merchant family.
龍藏 鳥居
anthropologist archaeologist ethnologist folklorist
Ryūzō Torii was born on March 4, 1870 in the island of Shikoku, in the Tokushima quarter of Higashi Senba-chō (東船場町), into a merchant family.
From an early age, Ryūzō Torii was a passionate collector of artifacts of all kinds, though he generally showed little interest in schoolwork. For a time he abandoned school, until the guidance of an understanding 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 on his home region.
In his teens, Ryūzō Tori had already begun writing articles on anthropological topics. 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 the young Torii, and hurried to Tokushima, to advise Torii to study anthropology. Acting on Shōgorō's advice, Torii moved to Tokyo at age 20.
Ryūzō Torii made an early reputation with his work on the native Ainu people of the Kuril Islands. Torii used eight different languages in his studies, and could use Ainu language. His article "Ainu people in Chishima Island", written in French, is a landmark in Ainu studies.
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 always held an exhibition, lecturing and showing 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. In 1899 he worked in Hokkaido and Chishima Island, to study the Ainu people, yielding a 1903 book Chishima Ainu, on the Kuril Ainu. In 1900 he completed the first ascent of Taiwan's "Yu-mountain" (at the time, "Shin Taka-mountain").
In 1905 Ryūzō Torii became a TIU lecturer. In 1906 he was engaged by the Karachin Royal Family of Mongolia. Torii became a professor of Karachin Boy-School. In 1911 Torii conducted field-work in Korea.
In 1924 Ryūzō 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 worked hard: he did all procedures for Ryuzo Torii and succeeded in lifting it up to a university level. It is a great achievement of Torii in internationalizing Japanese universities.
In 1939 he joined the Harvard-Yenching Institute, 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 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 this American area in China by the Institute, where his China anthropology studies reside, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. In 1951 Torii returned to Tokyo, Japan.
(Mandarin Chinese Edition)
(Japanese Edition)
Anthropological Research of the Ainus
Prehistoric Japan
Ryūzō Torii spent almost all of his life in anthropology field-work (research). He insisted that anthropological theories should be backed by strong empirical evidence.
Quotations: "Studies should not be done only in the study room. Anthropology is in the fields and mountains."
In 1901 Ryūzō Torii married Kimiko, daughter of a famous samurai in Tokushima. She was talented in music, language and education.