- Introduction.
- 1 “Han shu” (The Book of Han)
- 2 “Wei Zhi Wajin Dian” (The Biography of Wei Zhi and the Japanese)
- 3 “Later Han Shu
- 4 “The Book of Song Dynasty”
- 5 “Sui Dynasty
- 6 “The Old Tang Book” and “The New Tang Book
- 7 “Song Shi” (14th century)
- Conclusion
- The difference between the period of the “Wei Zhi” and the “Book of the Later Han Dynasty”.
Introduction.
There are several references to Japan in Chinese history books. Below are some representative historical books and their contents.
1 “Han shu” (The Book of Han)
Title: “The Book of Han (Han shu),” Geography
Period: 1st century (describes the Western Han dynasty from 206 B.C. to A.D. 8)
Description: Early descriptions of Japan are found in this book.
The Geography of Japan (Geography Zhi) describes that the Japanese paid tribute to the Han Dynasty through Rakro-gun (present-day northern part of the Korean Peninsula).
2 “Wei Zhi Wajin Dian” (The Biography of Wei Zhi and the Japanese)
Title: “Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wei, Biography of the East, Article on the Japanese
Period: 3rd century
Description: Describes the situation of Japan during the Wei dynasty. It describes Himiko, the queen of Yamataikoku, who sent an envoy to Wei to offer tribute, and details the customs, geography, and political system of Japan.
3 “Later Han Shu
Title: “Later Han Shu, Biography of the Eastern Yi
Period: 5th century B.C.
Description: Describes the situation in Japan from the 1st to the 3rd century BC. It describes the tribute paid by the king of Japan, Shuseung帥升, to the Later Han Dynasty.
4 “The Book of Song Dynasty”
Title: The Book of Song Dynasty (Song Shu), Biography of wakoku
Period: 5th century
Description: This book describes how the five kings of Japan (San, Jin, Je, Hsing, and Wu) sent envoys to the Song Dynasty in southern China, paid tribute, and received official titles. Their diplomatic activities and their backgrounds are mentioned.
5 “Sui Dynasty
Title: Sui Dynasty Book, Biography of the Eastern barbarians
Period: 7th century
Description: Describes the arrival of Japanese envoys to China during the Sui Dynasty, as well as the customs, geography and political system of Japan. It also mentions exchanges between Sui Dynasty and Japan.
6 “The Old Tang Book” and “The New Tang Book
Title: “The Old Tang Book: Biography of Eastern China” and “The New Tang Book: Biography of Japan
Period: 9th century (Old Tang Book), 11th century (New Tang Book)
Description: The Old Tang Shu contains descriptions of the visits of Japanese delegations, cultural exchanges, Japanese customs, and geography during the Tang dynasty. The New Tang Dynasty Book in particular includes detailed descriptions of Japan’s history and political system.
7 “Song Shi” (14th century)
This history book of the Song dynasty describes exchanges with Japan from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period.
Conclusion
These history books record Japan’s political system, culture, and diplomatic relations from the Chinese perspective. However, since these descriptions may contain misunderstandings or exaggerations, they should be interpreted carefully in conjunction with other historical documents.
The difference between the period of the “Wei Zhi” and the “Book of the Later Han Dynasty”.
The “Book of Later Han” was written in the 5th century, and the “Biography of the East” in it describes the situation of Japan in the 1st century. On the other hand, “Wei Zhi” was written in the late 3rd century, and its “Biography of Yamato” describes the state of Japan in the 3rd century.
This is because historical books do not necessarily describe only the events of the period, but sometimes record events in the past. In addition, the time period in which each history book was written may not coincide with the time period of the events described in the book.
NB.
This text is based on asking the AI; the AI’s answers may not always be correct. Important information should be checked.
