Japanese Missions to Tang China in Chang'an: Sub Title: Kentoshi Diplomacy, Ritual, and Urban Life, 618-907 CE

From the seventh to the ninth century, Japan dispatched Kentoshi— 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...