近代日本思想界總是企圖避免採用會凸顯日本的概念，一方面是對日本身在世界面前缺乏信心，二方面是身在亞洲面前會引發鄰國的猜忌。然而，在日本無法整合亞洲，但又對歐美強權追求和平的誠意與能力感到不足的時候，以日本作為一種有別於西方的和平主義身分，並不會引起亞洲的反彈或西方的排斥。本文以下刻意違反日本思想史習慣而提出的日本主義，其內涵是繞過亞洲，直接以日本作為世界性的國家，貢獻於世界性的形成，並以日本是世界上最有資格談和平與中立的民族，來反思西方、亞洲乃至於中國所代表的意義。日本主義不是任何學派提出的具體思想立場，而是尋求以日本直接面對世界的一種思維態勢，其背景在於歐洲接受日本為平等之一員，但歐洲不能充分提供完成世界性與普遍性理想的制度或政策出路，因此日本可以有獨特的貢獻，並且可以充滿信心的積極貢獻。本文蒐羅這種思想取向的各種蛛絲馬跡，名之為日本主義。

Modern history of Japanese thought always avoids the notion of “Japan” as thinkers do not consider Japan a valid identity to be presented to the world led by European civilizations. If Japan were to participate, it could only participate with confidence in the name of Asia. However, this Asia approach resulted in notorious expansionist war in history. After Cold War was over, Japan’s equal partnership in the world alongside European countries has appeared certain. On the other hand, Europeanness has not achieved the spirit of universal humanism. This provides the background for the emergence of a Japan that could participate in and contribute to the enrichment of such a spirit. The following discussion collects those nascent, sporadic pieces of evidence to suggest a possible rise of Japanism, embedded in peace-making, anti-nuclear movement, neutrality as well as human security. This is the first time in the Japanese thought history that Japan stands along in front of the world as a direct participant in the making of universal humanism.