A "shocking historical event" caused by the "already savage Japanese" in China 500 years ago.

A "shocking historical event" caused by the "already savage Japanese" in China 500 years ago.

The reality of the Sengoku period (age of civil war) drawn by "Nihon Ichikan(I watched Japan once)".

1)

A Chinese man visited Japan during the Warring States period on a mission to fight the Japanese pirates. He was a "patriot out of power" named Chung Shun Gong.

In his memoirs, Nihon Ichikan(I watched Japan once), he records everything from the natural climate to the customs and spiritual culture of the Japanese people.

What is the real Japan of some 500 years ago, seen through the fresh eyes of a neighbour?

2)

The "Wajin" ferocity is due to the volcano!?

In this period, the Chinese image of the Japanese was certainly "violent".

Firstly, the impact of the Ningbo Rebellion in 1523, some 30 years before Chung Shun Gong visited Japan, was enormous. The ships' crews sent to the Ming Dynasty by the two powerful daimyos of Japan, Ouchi and Hosokawa, fought in the city of Ningbo in China, causing turmoil in the area.

3)

Then, in the 1550s, Japanese pirates ravaged the coastal areas of China and were called the "Jiajing Great Japanese Pirates".

It is said that many smugglers and criminals who crossed from China to Japan were among the core of the Wako, but from the perspective of China at the time, they were generally 'Wajin'. The year 1556, when Chung Shun Gong left for Japan, was precisely when the Great Japanese Invasion was at its height.

4)

Jiajing Great Japanese Pirates:

https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%98%89%E9%9D%96%E3%81%AE%E5%A4%A7%E5%80%AD%E5%AF%87-1154400

During the Jiajing period (1522-66) of the Ming dynasty in China in the 16th century, Japanese pirates operated off the coast of mainland China, Japan, Korea and the South Seas. Only 10 to 20% of the members of the Wako in the 16th century were Japanese, and most of them were smugglers from the Zhejiang and Fujian regions of China. The smugglers' bases were Shuangyu in Zhejiang (called Liangpo by the Portuguese) and the Port of Hell, but the Ming authorities attacked these areas. Once wiped out, the smugglers turned into gangs of sea pirates.

5)

Why are the Japanese so violent? Chung Shun Gong looks for the cause, like the Japanese archipelago. Shunko Tei, who landed on Iwo Jima in the Nansei Islands and saw a volcano spewing fumes and probably saw hot springs erupting in Bungo, Kyushu, argued from the perspective of Chung Shun Gong as follows:

<The Japanese archipelago was formed in extreme darkness, and what raised Iwo Jima and other places resulted from intense shadows, the opacity of the sun, depression of the spirit, and transpiration.>

<But [yin qi(It is not sunny air)] never runs out, and when it manifests in the Japanese archipelago, it takes on the character of a dry "fire". The momentum of the mountain has become rough and wild, giving birth to the fierce temperament of the Japanese. (Omitted) It is said that human beings are also born in response to the earth's energy. Therefore, the Japanese have a fierce personality because of the spirit of the land. >

6)

He also believes that the Japanese value courtesy and order because of their wild nature. This is what "Nihon Ichikan" says:

<Pirates are called [in Japan] 'Bahan' or 'Shiranami', and the whole family is slaughtered when discovered.

In Japanese manners and customs, the prohibition against robbery is so strict that theft is rare even if the gate is not barred at night. The people call the robbers thieves and do not forget their grudge. Although his customs are martial, he respects Buddha and likes to write. It would be best to use education to get the point for the Japanese. >

In Japan, the order is maintained by violent forces disregarding human life, and culture is respected under that order. When confronting such Japanese people, they should not simply resort to military force but use "education". That is cultural policy.

7)

Taking life lightly and respecting courtesy and order

One aspect of Japanese culture is particularly prominent in "Nihon Ichikan". It is the "Japanese sword".

Initially, many Japanese swords were brought to China through the tribute trade. Their quality was highly regarded, and they were an important export product of Japan. In the 15th and 16th centuries, 3,000 to more than 30,000 were brought to China by a single ship sent to the Ming Dynasty.

The Japanese, who crossed the sea as pirates, killed many people with their swords, and the ferocious image was burned into the minds of the Ming Dynasty Chinese. However, Chung Shun Gong also sees that ordinary Japanese people did not necessarily use swords to kill and injure.