About the Book

From the seventh to the ninth century, Japan dispatched Kentōshi—official diplomatic missions to Tang China—braving the perilous maritime routes of the East China Sea to reshape diplomacy, religion, and urban life across East Asia.

While centered on the destination of Chang’an (Xi’an), this volume is crucial for understanding the Eastern extension of the Maritime Silk Road. It reconstructs the arduous sea and land routes taken by envoys, translators, and monks—most notably the legendary Jianzhen (Ganjin). Through chronicles, epigraphy, and rich visual materials including the Tōseiden Emaki, the book reveals how technologies, Buddhist institutions, and court protocols flowed from the Tang world to Nara and Heian Japan.

With 124 color illustrations, maps, and a glossary, this study brings political history into dialogue with material culture, offering fresh insights for researchers of China–Japan relations, Silk Road urbanism, and maritime history.

About the Author

Han Yangmin is a Professor at Northwest University and Director of the China Festival Studies Center. With over forty years of research experience, he has authored more than twenty books, including History of Qin and Han Culture and A History of Chinese Folklore. He serves as President of the Shaanxi Folklore Society and has received the Ministry of Education’s First Prize for his scholarly achievements. In 2010, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Festival Culture Annual Conference at Peking University.