(introduction...)

Japan has attached great importance to science and technology throughout the history of its modern development. "Eastern Morals and Western Arts" was the slogan advocated by Sakume Sh (1811-1864). He was unfortunately assassinated because he tried to introduce Dutch science and technology in the early stage of the modernization or westernization of Japan in spite of the chauvinistic nationalism of the time. Sh advocated the idea not because he wanted to show off Oriental supremacy in morals, but because he wanted to make it clear that eastern morals should not exclude western technology. Sh not only thought that it was his duty as a Confucian and a scholar of western science to achieve the happy combination of both, but he also felt that the future of Japan should be moulded on this new idea.

In fact, after the Meiji Restoration Japan accepted western science and technology without reserve, while she recognized the value of her inherent Oriental tradition in the realms of philosophy, morals, literature, and social science, which are usually excluded from the category of natural science. This was a difficult and delicate choice. Why was the decision possible? What came out of it? What is the situation now? This paper will concern itself with these topics.