The Observation of Fujiwara Seika on East Asia: His Examination on China (Ming), Korea and Annam

Title

The Observation of Fujiwara Seika on East Asia: His Examination on China (Ming), Korea and Annam

Author

Ming-Bing WANG

Page

21-48

DOI

10.6163/tjeas.2015.12(2)21

Abstract

Fujiwara Seika (1561-1619), a modern Japanese neo-Confucian philosopher, who made contact with China (Ming), Korea and Annam, was one of the representative figures that quite mirrored the upheaval over the World East Asia at the turn of 16^(th) century and 17^(th) century. Fujiwara Seika's observation on Ming, Korea and Annam, responded to the regime changes of Oda, Toyotomi and Tokugawa, and moreover, echoed with the changes of East Asian international relations, such as Qing replaced Ming, and Japanese invasions of Korea. Under such a changing time background, the diplomatic principle of ＂to subordinate Korea to Ming＂ proposed by Seika, and the diplomatic strategy to develop economic and trade relations with Annam when Ming severed ties with Annam, reflected an attitude of ＂seek truth from facts＂ and a strategy of practicality. However, Seika's observation on East Asian countries and his pertinent expostulation, limited by his character as a scholar and the actual conditions of Japanese political spectrum of the time, did not play too much practical utility.

Keyword

Fujiwara Seika, Ming Dynasty, Korea, Annam, World of East Asia

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