Modernity and İslam in Japan according to Bbdurresid İbrahim

In this thesis, Abdurresid Ibrahim's travel to Japan, his activities and the relationships he established during this travel were examined. The need for the thorough examination of his activities and contacts in Japan arose from the fact that the history of Islam in Japan is yet to be a virgin field of exploration. Abdurresid Ibrahim (1857-1944) was among the Russian Turks who made a respectable name both in the Islamic and Turkic world during the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century as a fellow intellectual, traveler figure as well as a man of thought and politics. Despite the hardships he experienced as a child, he completed his education in Mecca and Medina and dedicated most of his life in search of solutions for the problems of the world's Muslim population. At a certain stage of this intellectual journey, his quest brought himself to Japan. Abdurresid Ibrahim began his journey in Turkestan. His travel spanned to three years, of which 7 months he stayed in Japan. During this time in Japan, he established contacts among the Japanese press and sought for recognition and acceptance from the Japanese society. He also met several important figures from the Japanese higher bureaucracy, military and academic world and encouraged them to cooperate with the Muslims of the world. He alsospent a good deal of time in Japan observing how Japan technologically caught up with the Western World and gained worldwide recognition while keeping its conservative social identity. He established contact seven among the secret societies of Japan such as Black Dragons (Kara Ejderler), and his acquaintence shelped him to take part in a mosque building project. His effort stop romote Islam in Japan led himto put effort in preventing the anti-Islamic activities of the Christian missions in Japan through the help of friends he made in Japan during his shortstay. Keywords: Abdürreşidİbrahim, Islam, Japan, Modernization