Research on the Image of Japan in Ancient Chinese Literature

Author: Zhang Zhejun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: China and Japan have coexisted in the eastern corner of Asia since prehistoric times. From the migration of ethnic groups to the exchanges between various peoples, from the propagation of religions to the development of trade, through countless interactions and over a long historical span, each has formed observations and records of the other's way of life, linguistic features, and activities, all characterized by their own temporal and regional specificity. These observations and records have been passed down through generations, constituting an inexhaustible historical narrative and becoming a shared memory of society. This book follows the progression of history, based on the empirical analysis of texts, focusing on the internal interpretation of texts from each era and grasping the relevant "cultural context" of the specific time. It pays attention to the interaction between the recorders and the recorded in terms of their "images," thereby clarifying and elucidating the fragmented and discontinuous "Japanese image" that previously existed in Chinese literary and historical texts in an "implicit" state. It further elaborates on its value and significance in the field of cultural history. The Study of the Japanese Image in Ancient Chinese Literature is a specialized study on the evolution and development of the Japanese image, employing an empirical research method that combines textual evidence with historical verification. The formation of the Japanese image is primarily determined by the political and cultural exchanges between China and Japan, as well as by China's own way of observing and perceiving things. Different eras had different images of Japan, and overall, there were two collective images of Japan: one was the image of Japan as a land of benevolent sages, and the other was the image of Japan as a land of beasts. Ancient Chinese scholars paid close attention to describing Japan's customs, literature, art, and products. Among these, there were both imaginary images of Japan as envisioned by Chinese scholars and realistic images of Japan that aligned with society and nature. Through this, not only can the image of Japan as an "other" be observed, but the characteristics of Chinese literature and culture itself can also be reflected.