This book attempts to depict East Asian exchanges through the East China Sea over five centuries, from the 9th century, when Kento-shi (missions to Tang China) came to an end, to the 14th century, when Kenming-shi (missions to Ming China) began, in the footsteps of Japanese monks who went to China. The title of the book has the word 'kaisho (See trader)' alongside 'Soryo (monks)' in order to draw attention to the existence of kaisho as a means for monks to voyage to China.
The author points out that in this process from the ancient to the medieval period, there were three epochs in the voyages of monks from Japan to China. These are: the ninth century, when maritime merchants replaced Kento-shi (missions to Tang China) ; the second half of the twelfth century, when restrictions on the voyage of monks were relaxed; and the second half of the fourteenth century, when they had to rely on Kenming-shi (missions to Ming China). The book is organised in four chapters, divided by these periods.
In each chapter, the author details how Japanese monks went to China and what activities they engaged in, comparing the records of the monks with relevant historical documents from various countries. As a result, it brilliantly highlights how the nature of the voyage defined the activities of the monks in China. For the details of what happened, which are not written in textbooks, please pick up a book and enjoy it to the fullest, and here I will consider the meaning this book has given to historical research.
The author says in the Afterword that "the contents of this book can be said to be a compilation of my own research" (p. 242), and he cites references and previous studies in various parts of the essay as if to relativise his own descriptions. If this were an article, many of the descriptions would be annotated, but because this is a non-annotated book with a general readership in mind, they are noted in the text. On the other hand, because it is a book, it also contains a large amount of speculation, which is difficult to write about in an article, and thus stirs up the reader's imagination.
Although it is a general book, the amount of previous studies cited is more than enough to convey the depth of studies in medieval Japanese and Buddhist history. On the other hand, it is also true that there are glimpses of the ties that come from the accumulation of a wealth of studies. This is clearly shown in the stimulating criticisms of previous studies. I think that all of the points made in the book are spot-on, and because they are accompanied by evidence, I feel that the book has opened up new horizons for historical study.
The author's criticism of previous studies is wide-ranging, but what is essential to the value of this book are those relating to period divisions and the history of external relations. Whether it is the period divisions or the history of foreign relations, if we stand on the perspective of 'East China Sea history', which the author advocates, we realise that such frameworks themselves are ineffective.
The period divisions are supposed to be a framework for capturing the qualitative changes in societies and cultures. There should be a variety of period divisions depending on the event in focus. However, the period divisions of the Ancient and Medieval periods have been made as an extension of the period divisions of the regimes, as if this were self-evident. The period up to the Heian period is called the Ancient Period, and the period after the Kamakura period the Medieval Period, and so on.
Although in recent years, more and more studies have looked at the back and forth between the various regimes, it is undeniable that the focus is still on the regime. Of course, this is inevitable if one is referring to the relationship with the policies of the regimes. However, when the East China Sea is placed at the centre of a study, as is the case in this book, it is exposed that the period divisions by regime are different in each country.
The history of external relations is no different. The term 'external' is aptly descriptive, as it implies an inward, home-grown perspective. If we look at the East China Sea from the perspective of the various countries that could use it, we need to at least replace the term with something like the history of relations between countries. There, a multifaceted perspective from each side will be required.
The author thoroughly prepares the new horizon of historical study that emerges from the setting of the East China Sea, questioning its meaning in the 'Introduction', proving it in the body of the essay and concluding it in the 'Epilogue'. That this work has received a certain evaluation is best proved by the fact that it has been republished in the Kodansha Academic Library ten years after its publication.
By the way, the reason the reviewer picked up this book was because the words "sea traders" flashed across the title. Moreover, it is juxtaposed with the subject "monks". As this book focuses on the existence of sea traders as a means of transportation for monks, it may be unavoidable, but I feel that the reference to sea traders is insufficient. If I had a wish, I would have liked to have seen more focus on sea traders as well.
For sea traders, the boarding of monks must have been secondary, and the purpose was simply to move 'things'. The author traces the origin of the maritime traffic between Japan and China to the Siragi and Tang sea traders, but there is no mention of the goods they transported from Japan other than the monks. If the sea traders were so frequent that monks could rely on them to travel between Japan and China, this is a matter of even greater interest.
Considering the stability of navigation and merchant spirit, sea traders did not simply sell the goods they were loaded with. It is also not clear how Japanese sea traders appeared across the East China Sea. If it is hinted that Japanese temples, which were also closely connected to monks, were involved in trade, I am curious to know the relationship between temples and sea traders.
It may be that the reference to sea trading blurs the focus of this book, but is it my imagination that there is a curse of the framework of Japanese history there? Nevertheless, the author is "interested in the movement of people and goods through the sea itself" (p. 240), so I look forward to his future research.
It should be noted that this book was published in 2010 and appears to have gone out of print shortly afterwards. As written above, it joined the Kodansha Academic Library in 2020, so I recommend that you pick up a book and enjoy its contents, which are different from the Japanese history you learnt in textbooks.
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