Otaka Tomoo

Otaka, 1956

Otaka Tomoo ( Japanese 尾 高 朝 雄 , also read Odaka Tomoo ; born January 28, 1899 in Seoul , Korea ; died May 15, 1956 in Tōkyō ) was a Japanese lawyer.

Live and act

Otaka Tomoo graduated from Tōkyō University in 1923 . He then moved to Kyoto University , enrolled in the philosophy department and continued his education under Nishida Kitarō . From 1928 to 1932 Otaka stayed for study purposes in Germany and Austria, where he was influenced by Kelsen and Husserl . In 1928 he became assistant professor at Keijō University (京城 大学) in Seoul, later professor. From 1944 he worked as a professor at his alma mater. Otaka was a member of the Academy of Sciences .

While the constitution was being reformulated after 1945, he held a discussion with the lawyer Miyazawa Toshiyoshi (宮 沢 俊義; 1899–1976) about whether the concept of the state as “ Kokutai ” was still up to date. Otaka believed that Kokutai was not based on power, but developed from the tradition of ancient customs. The principle would still apply even if the emperor only had a symbolic status.

Otaka's writings include “To the structure of the state” (国家 構造 論, Kokka kōzō ron) from 1936 and “Overview of the philosophy of law” (法 哲学 概論, Hōtetsugaku gairon), 1948. In German, the “Basic Doctrine of social association ”.

literature

• S. Noma (Ed.): Odaka Tomoo . In: Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993. ISBN 4-06-205938-X , p. 1125.

Web links

• Biographies Otaka Tomoo in the Kotobank, Japanese

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . So Otaka is the family name, Tomoo the first name.