{"id":2031,"date":"2025-04-22T10:02:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T01:02:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsletter.nichibun.ac.jp\/?post_type=messages&p=2031"},"modified":"2025-05-27T09:48:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T00:48:07","slug":"greetings-from-the-outskirts-of-kyoto-vol-53","status":"publish","type":"messages","link":"https:\/\/newsletter.nichibun.ac.jp\/en\/messages\/2031\/","title":{"rendered":"Greetings from the Outskirts of Kyoto vol.53"},"content":{"rendered":"

The T\u2019ang envoys are widely known. They were the envoys that made up the diplomatic missions sent by Japan to T\u2019ang China in the eighth and ninth centuries. I learned about them in history classes when I was a middle school student.<\/p>\r\n

But there are things I did not learn. For instance, all of the envoys were fine-looking men. The Nara and Kyoto courts were obsessed with the looks of these envoys. Their wish was that they might be a glittering presence at the T\u2019ang court.<\/p>\r\n

Indeed, in China at the time, people referred to handsome Chinese as \u201cJapanese envoys.\u201d A good looking man might be hailed as \u201cdishy as an envoy.\u201d It is clear on what basis the court selected members of these missions!<\/p>\r\n

Nowadays, this sort of obsession with looks is unacceptable. The Japanese Foreign Ministry does not select its diplomats on the basis of their appearance. They would, I think, encounter widespread criticism if they adopted such criteria.<\/p>\r\n

The idea, anyway, was to use the envoys\u2019 beauty to win foreign friends for Japan. T\u2019ang envoy diplomacy pursued this path to benefit Japan. Such diplomacy no longer exists. When and how it disappeared might be themes for diplomatic historians to pursue.<\/p>\r\n

\"\"

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, \u201cK\u014dkoku Nij\u016bshik\u014d Kibi Daijin\u201d\uff08National Diet Library Digital Collection\uff09
Minister Kibi (Kibi no Makibi) crossed over to T\u2019ang China twice, first as a student, later as Vice-Envoy to the T\u2019ang court.<\/p><\/div>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

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