In an interview with the Shanghai Observer of Jiefang Daily on 15 October 2016, Professor Wang Yong of IEAS said Japanese academia rely on Chinese historical data to understand what had happened on Japan before the introduction of Chinese characters there.

The continuous records of more than one hundred races of the peripheral countries in China’s 26 official dynastic histories ( zhengshi 正史), literally “correct or orthodox histories” in traditional Chinese bibliography, that spanned more than one thousand years is really a miracle in the civilization of humankind. In the 26 official dynastic histories, a total of sixteen categories and seventeen chapters of different historiographical genres about Japan under the names of Wo(倭), Wo Ren (倭人),Wo Guo (倭国), Ri Ben (日本) and Yi Ben Guo (日本国), covering geographical environment, social conditions, politics, customary practice and the Sino-Japanese transportation in different dynasties, can be read. The publication of the five volumes of Li Dai Zheng Shi Ri Ben Zhuang Kao Zhu (历代正史日本传考注Glossary Explanations and Bibliographic Annotations of Japan in Official Chinese Dynastic History) under the leadership of Professor Wang Yong is not an easy task. It took continuous incessant efforts for more than thirteen years before it becoming the most comprehensive textual research on the records ofJapanin Chinese official dynastic histories. In view of this unprecedented research project, the news reporter of Shanghai Observer of Jeifan Daily interviewed Professor Wang Yong and published the whole interview on 15 October 2016.

Professor Wang Yong pointed out that there were several climaxes of Japanese studies in Chinese history. In order to protectChinaagainst Japanese pirates’ disruptive activities in Chinese coastal waters, some Chinese scholars conducted various researches onJapan. The most famous are Ri Ben Kao (日本考Study of Japan) by two military men Li Yan Gong and Hao Jie (李言恭 and 郝杰 both sixteenth century),  Zheng Shungong’s (郑舜功 1556-）Ri Ben Ri Jian (日本一鉴 A Mirror of Japan), and Hou Jigao’s (侯继高 1533-1602) Ri Ben Gong Fu Ji (日本风土记 Notes from Japan or Local Social Conditions of Japan).

On several occasions, Dai Jitao (戴季陶1891-1949) mentioned Huang Zhunxian’s (黄遵宪1848-1905) magnum opus Ri Ben Guo Zhi of forty volumes (日本国志A Record of Japan) in late Ching dynasty. Other masterpieces of Japanese studies during this period were Yao Wendong’s (姚文栋1852-1927) Yi Ben Di Ri Bing Yao (日本地理兵要 Japan’s Geography and Its Defense),  Ye Qingyi’s (叶庆颐 active 1880-1889) Ce Ao Za Zhi (策鳌杂摭 Random Pickings From a Dragon Ride, 8 juan 1884), Chen Jialin’s (陈家麟的Dong Cha Uen Jian Lu (东槎闻见录 Mini-encyclopedia of Japan, 4 juan, 1884) and Gu Houkun’s (顾厚焜1870-1930) Ri Ben Xin Zhong Kao(日本新政考Reference Materials on Japan’s Modernizing Reforms , 2 juan , 1888). The quality of reports from Chinese consular staffs stationing inJapanwere also remarkably high during this period.

According to Professor Wang Yong, Chinese researchers are always passive in Japanese studies and research projects are on ad hoc basis without long term tenacity. The first climax of Japanese studies was in Ming dynasty because of the urgent need to handle wokou (倭寇) aggression. The defeat ofChinain the first Sino-Japanese War stimulated the second climax. The latest climax was during second Sino-Japanese War. Most scholars had no knowledge of Japanese and were ignorant of scientific research methodology.

From the chapter of Wo (倭）in Hou Han Shu (后汉书 Book of the Later Han) to Ri Ben (日本）in Qin Shi Gao (清史稿 Draft History of Qing), Chinese historians systematically kept on recording Japan for more than one thousand years. This is undoubtedly a marvelous achievement in the civilization of humankind, filling in the vacuum of unavailability of written history in many countries, of which Japan is one. Though the contents might not be fully reliable, all these pioneering works provide an extremely valuable window of information and insight into Japan. Unfortunately, the very precious primary data of this kind has all long been overlooked, pending Chinese and Japanese scholars of encyclopedic knowledge to conduct multidisciplinary research in this unexploited academic field. The feedback and book reviews of Li Dai Zheng Shi Ri Ben Zhuang Kao Zhu since the book launch have been very favorable. It is divided into five volumes, namely Han-Wei-Liangjin-Nanbeicha (汉魏两晋南北朝), Sui and Tang (隋唐), Song and Yuan (宋元) , Ming (明) and Qing(清). Starting with defining problem (解题), the other parts in each volume are main body (正文), annotation (注释), textual research (杂考), and cross-reference(研究余录) for clarifications on academic arguments by reference to the latest research outcomes in China and overseas. The characteristics of Li Dai Zheng Shi Ri Ben Zhuang Kao Zhu can be summarized as up-to-date data, comprehensive coverage and meticulousness. Professor Wang Yong and his postgraduate students started this landmark research project in mid 1990s. All of them had studied and worked in Japan, and are well-trained in Chinese classics. On the basis of past historical contacts between China and Japan, Sino-Japanese relations can be further developed. Professor Wang Yong intends to use Li Dai Zheng Shi Ri Ben Zhuang Kao Zhu as a cultural heritage to stimulate Chinese and foreign scholars, especially Japanese scholars, to conduct further researches on Japan in new perspectives, thereby eliminating distortion of history.