History has its own life, it is like a person, both easy-going and self-respecting. ——Yu Qiuyu
Recommendation: As countries in East Asia, the relationship between Japan and China can be said to be very complicated. As early as the Tang Dynasty, Japan had sent envoys to study Chinese culture, and even the political system of the time had learned from the past. However, what few people know is that in fact, the name of Japan has been called out as early as the Tang Dynasty. Could it be that the name of Japan comes from China? Today we will take a look at it together.
A Tang Dynasty epitaph was unearthed
In 2004, in Xi'an, Shanxi Province, an epitaph was unearthed that caused a sensation at the time. It turns out that this epitaph can prove that the name of the Japanese country comes from the Tang Dynasty period in China. It is reported that this epitaph was from the first year of the Tang Dynasty, which was during the Tang Xuanzong period and was also given by the emperor to the Japanese envoys.
The main content of the epitaph is that there was a Japanese named Jing Zhencheng at that time, because he came to China thousands of miles away, learned the culture and etiquette of the time, and gradually integrated into the society of that time. However, in the second year of the Tang Dynasty, he died of illness, and Emperor Xuanzong, impressed by his deeds, gave him an official position and held a funeral for him.
It proves that the name of Japan comes from China
In the main text, there is such a sentence as "the name of the country is Japan, only called The Heavenly Longitude", which is interpreted as the source of the name of the Japanese country. Geographically located in the east of China, Japan is a country close to the land of sunrise. Therefore, the name Japan was described by the Tang Dynasty people at that time according to the geographical location. In fact, in the domestic annals of history, the Old Book of Tang, there are records about the country of Japan, but no physical objects have been unearthed to prove it. In the Old Book of Tang, it is recorded that the "Nihon Article" says: "The Uighur Kingdom has changed its name to Japan."
In many Chinese books, there have been many synonyms for Japan, such as Dongyi, Fuso, Andyo, etc. It was not until the time of Wu Zetian that it was given the name Japan. As mentioned above, Jing Zhencheng was not actually a prominent figure, but just an ordinary official in the Tang mission. However, at that time, the atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty was very open, and the acceptance of people from all over the world was relatively high, and giving him an official position to bury him also showed the courtesy of the Japanese officials who sent Tang envoys.
It attracted a visit from Emperor Akihito
When this epitaph was unearthed, there was a well-known Japanese painter named Ikuo Hirayama, who was on the scene. He was very excited to see this cultural relic, because the name of Japan has a physical certificate, which can be traced back to the source, which has a lot of significance for the country of Japan. So, he came back and asked to bring the artifacts to Japan for exhibition. A year later, in August, the artifact crossed the ocean to the Japanese museum for exhibition.
During this period, Emperor Akihito and Empress of Japan visited the site in person. After seeing an ordinary Japanese dispatcher to make such a courtesy, he showed great surprise. Since then, the person in which Itachi has attracted a lot of attention in Japan, and more and more people have studied him. As the capital of the Tang Dynasty, Xi'an has a lot of history that has not yet been excavated, waiting for future generations to explore.
Summary: In fact, as a neighbor of China, Japan has been influenced by Chinese culture in many ways. For example, the era name of the Japanese emperor is generally found in ancient Chinese books. During the reign of the celebrity emperor, his era name was Heisei, which came from the Chinese Shang Shu. "Heisei" is from the Shang Shu. Da Yu Mo" (大禹谟) "Yu! Heaven and earth are at peace, the six houses and three things are allowed to rule, the eternal life is relied upon, and the time is the merit. and the Chronicle of History. The Five Emperors Benji: "Raise the eight yuan, make the five teachings of bu in the four directions, fatherly righteousness, maternal kindness, brotherhood, brotherhood, brotherhood, filial piety, inner peace and outer cheng." At the same time, taking the meaning of the earth flat Tenseong and the inner peace and outer peace, this era name expresses the will for peace in post-war Japan. And Emperor Akihito was also a peace-loving emperor.