英文摘要 |
It is widely known that Japan had absorbed much of the Chinese culture by sending Japanese missions to Sui China, Japanese missions to Tang China, Japanese missions to Balhae and Balhae missions to Japan. Through Baekje of the Korean Peninsula, Kanji was introduced to Japan, and so was Confucianism, Buddhism, Medicine, fortune-telling, calendar and others. Even Doctor of Five Classics of Confucianism, Doctor of Fortune-telling, Doctor of Calendar, Doctor of Medicine have sailed across the sea to Japan. Apart from the official missions, it is also believed that exchanges have been carried out on merchandise ships. For example, in Taketorimonogatari of the Heian Period, Chinese ships were mentioned in the story of Leather Clothes of the Fire Mouse. If we closely examine the five tales of difficult problems in Taketorimonogatari we will find other examples, such as Stone Bowl of Buddha, the mountains of Horai of the East Sea, five-colored balls of the neck of the dragon, shellfish of the safe delivery of the swallow and others. These treasures, recorded in classical literatures, appear to exist outside China, most likely in India. According to these literatures, Kaguyahime in Taketorimonogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) intends to seek for the treasures from China and India as center of the world. The knowledge of these treasures in Taketorimonogatari is evidence that Japanese culture was indeed influenced by Chinese culture. Deducing in this manner, Japan must have been also influenced by other cultures that have been spread to China. Therefore, this is reason why the Indian civilization and Kanji may be traced in Japanese culture. This research will focus on how Asia is described in monogatori written in the early Heian Period of Japan, a period of erudition and intellectual curiosity. This research aims to examine the five tales of difficult problems in the Taketorimonogatari, and the Legend of the mysterious koto which is a mystery in Utsubo Monogatari (Tale of the Hollow Tree). |