What did Tanabe Hajime mean by metanoia in his postwar philosophy?

In his postwar philosophy, Tanabe Hajime introduced the concept of metanoia as a central component of his philosophy of metanoetics.

Tanabe argued that traditional speculative philosophy, or noetics, is limited because it focuses on the subjective content of experience. To transcend these limitations, he proposed that one must undergo a complete metanoia—a profound transformation characterized by a death-and-rebirth phenomenon of conversion. This process represents a radical shift in perspective, moving beyond mere intellectual inquiry toward a deeper, existential realization that synthesizes his interests in Buddhism, Christianity, and Marxism.1