China-North Korea Facts

A book written by Yamaga Soko, a Confucian scholar and military scholar in the early Edo period. One volume. Completed in 1669 (Kanbun 9). It is divided into two parts, the Imperial Lineage and the Appendix, and consists of 13 chapters such as "Heaven's Predecessor," "China," "Imperial Lineage," and "Sacred Treasures." The former mainly uses the "Nihon Shoki" as a reference, as well as "Kujihongi," "Kogo Shuui," "Ryo no Gige," "Jinno Shotoki," "Honcho Jinja Ko," and others, to describe the origins of the Imperial Lineage and cultural artifacts in the Age of the Gods and ancient times, while the latter contains questions and answers about them.

In this book, Japan is referred to as "China," "China and Korea," and "China," and it is stated that "its water and soil are superior to all nations, and its people are outstanding throughout the world." There is a clear Japanophilic tendency, but it claims that the political ideals set forth by sages in China were realized in Japan, which differs from the tendency of National Learning to reject Confucianism itself.

[Tadashi Sakuma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸前期の儒者・兵学者山鹿素行(やまがそこう)の著書。1巻。1669年（寛文9）成立。皇統と付録の2部からなり、「天先」「中国」「皇統」「神器」等の13章で構成される前者には、『日本書紀』を主に『先代旧事本紀(くじほんぎ)』『古語拾遺(しゅうい)』『令義解(りょうのぎげ)』『神皇正統記(じんのうしょうとうき)』『本朝神社考』等を援用して、神代・古代の皇統と文物の淵源(えんげん)が述べられ、後者にはそれらに関する問答が載せられている。

　本書において、日本は「中華」「中朝」「中国」とよばれ、「水土は万邦に卓爾(たくじ)として、人物は八紘(はっこう)に精秀」なるゆえんが述べられ、日本主義的傾向は明らかであるが、中国において聖人の示した政治理念が日本において実現していたとするのであり、儒教そのものを否定する国学の傾向とは異なる。

［佐久間正］

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