The Japanese Society for the History of Economic Thought was formed in 1950. I joined the Society next year, my favorite subject has been Adam Smith or Karl Marx. Its main reason was the deep influence of works by two Japanese professors, Zenya Takashima and Eiichi Suguimoto (1945-50). Studying their methodological views on political economy and social science, I started the exploration of this discipline in these years.
Prof. Yoshihiko Uchida's The Birth of Political Economy, published in 1953, had a formidable impact on Japanese Smithian studies. Its penetrating analysis of Smith's theory, policy and ideology was very exciting and fascinating but caused considerable debate among scholars. His great emphasis was on the necessity of ‘fighting against employing a Smithian solution to pre-Smithian matters’, which has important implications in Japan now.
In 1946, Prof. Suguimoto declared the immaturity of Marx's Capital and the need for the consideration of ‘plan’. In response to this pioneering discourse, and afterwards stimulated by French Marxologist Prof. Maximillian Rubel, I worked and published several articles and books on Marx's economic doctrine and thought.