Author of 'Nihon Sahoeui Ingan Gwangye' Nakane Chie, Tokyo University Emeritus Professor, Passes Away

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Nakane Chie, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and author of the steady bestseller "Japanese Society's Human Relations," which has been praised for its clear analysis of the characteristics of Japanese society, passed away at the age of 94.

According to Kyodo News on the 6th, he died of frailty last month on the 12th at a nursing facility for the elderly in Shinagawa, Tokyo.

Having researched Tibetan history at the University of Tokyo, he traveled to India in 1953 and conducted research by exploring the Tibetan border area and Nepal alone, becoming a notable figure in Japan. Based on his experiences at that time, he published "The Face of Savagery and the Face of Civilization," which examined civilization and social relations, drawing attention from the academic community.

His representative work published in 1967, "Japanese Society's Human Relations," deals with the structural characteristics of Japanese society, which values "spaces" such as companies and families and is formed around "vertical" relationships based on seniority and hierarchy, through comparisons with Indian and Western societies.

Having sold over one million copies in Japan, this book has established itself as a representative work offering insight into Japanese society alongside American anthropologist Ruth Benedict's "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," and has since been translated and published in several countries including Korea.

He continued his research activities into his later years and published "Date Society and Modern Japan" in 2019, which examines contemporary Japan.