Japan, located to the southeast of Baekje and Silla, approximately 3,000 miles across the sea, is a nation established along the mountains and islands in the expansive ocean. During the Wei Dynasty, there was cultural exchange with China. Japan comprises over thirty states, each claiming to be a kingdom. The Japanese are not very precise about specific distances. They only measure travel in days. Traveling east to west takes five months, while traveling north to south takes three months, reaching the coastline. The topography is elevated in the east and declines in the west. Their capital is referred to as Yamito, also known as Yamatai in the "Records of Wei." Ancient texts state that Japan is approximately 12,000 miles from Lelang and Daifang. During the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Han dynasty, Japan sent envoys to the court, referring to themselves as Dafu. During the reign of Emperor An of the Han dynasty, they sent envoys to present tribute, at which time they were referred to as the Wo Nu Kingdom. During the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of Han, Japan experienced significant turmoil, as various tribes waged war against one another for many years without a stable ruler. Later, a woman named Himiko emerged, who employed shamanistic practices to captivate the populace, so the entire nation rallied behind her as queen. She had a brother who helped her manage the country. The queen was surrounded by thousands of maids, and few could glimpse her true visage; only two men were tasked with delivering food and messages to her. The queen's palace, pavilions, walls, and fences were all guarded by soldiers, and the management was very strict. From the Wei Dynasty through the Qi and Liang Dynasties, Japan consistently maintained contact with China.
In the twentieth year of the Kaihuang era, the Japanese king bore the surname Amei, whose courtesy name was Tali Sibei and title was Abeijimi. He sent envoys to the emperor. The emperor instructed the relevant departments to investigate Japan's customs. The envoy reported that the Japanese king viewed the sky as his elder brother and the sun as his younger brother. He conducted official business before dawn, seated cross-legged, and when the sun rose, he would cease his work, stating, "I leave the official business to my younger brother." Emperor Gaozu remarked, "This is quite unreasonable!" Thus, he commanded them to abandon this custom.
The king of Japan's wife is named Jimi, and there are six to seven hundred women in the harem. The crown prince is named Legimi Dofuli. They do not have city walls or fortifications. The court officials are divided into twelve ranks: Da De, Xiao De, Da Ren, Xiao Ren, Da Yi, Xiao Yi, Da Li, Xiao Li, Da Zhi, Xiao Zhi, Da Xin, Xiao Xin, with no fixed number of people. There are one hundred and twenty military officials, comparable to township officials in China. Eighty households are assigned to one Yi Ni Yi, similar to the present-day village head. Ten Yi Ni Yi are under the jurisdiction of one military official.
Their clothing: men wear upper garments and lower skirts, with short sleeves, and shoes resembling straw sandals with lacquered uppers tied to the feet. Most common people are barefoot. Gold and silver decorations are not allowed. Clothing was made from horizontally cut fabric, connected front and back without seams. They did not wear hats, with hair hanging by their ears. During the Sui Dynasty, their kings started wearing brocade hats, with gold and silver engravings as decorations. Women tied their hair behind their heads and wore clothes with pleated skirts. They used bamboo combs, straw mats, various leather jackets with beautiful leather borders. They had bows and arrows, knives, spears, crossbows, axes, lacquered armor, and bone arrowheads. Despite having weapons, they did not engage in wars. During court audiences, they always had a procession and played their national music. There were approximately one hundred thousand households in the population.
The customs in this place are quite strict: if someone kills, robs, or does something bad, they face the death penalty. If someone steals, they must compensate according to the value of the stolen item. If they cannot afford to compensate, they will become slaves. Of course, the severity of the punishment varies: some face exile, while others are whipped.
During the trial, if someone refuses to confess, it could be dire. They would use wooden planks to crush the knees or use a strong bowstring to choke the neck! Even more brutally, they would throw small stones into boiling water and ask the parties involved to fish them out, claiming that whoever is guilty would have their hands rot! They would even put snakes in a pot and ask people to catch them, saying that the guilty person would be bitten by the snake! So, the people there are very honest, rarely go to court, and theft is uncommon. They enjoy listening to the music of the five-stringed qin and flute.
Both men and women like to have tattoos on their arms and faces, and fishing is a regular activity. They have no written language, so they carve wood and tie knots to record information. Later, after adopting Buddhism, they obtained Buddhist scriptures from Baekje, which led to the development of their written language. They practice divination and believe in wizards. Every New Year's Day, they shoot arrows, drink, and celebrate, and their other customs are similar to ours. They also enjoy playing chess, board games, spear fighting, and playing a game called chupu.
The place has a warm climate, with evergreen grass and trees, fertile land, and an ample water supply. They train cormorants to catch fish, using small rings to tie around the cormorants' necks, enabling them to catch fish efficiently. They eat without using plates, simply using leaves as plates and eating with their hands. They are honest and carry themselves with grace. There are more women than men, and they cannot marry someone with the same surname. As long as both parties are in love, they can marry. When a woman marries into her husband's family, she must step over a dog before she can meet her husband. The women there are quite chaste, not promiscuous or jealous.
When someone passes away, they are buried in a coffin, and relatives and friends sing and dance next to the body, while the wife, children, and brothers don white garments for mourning. Officials and nobles have to keep the body for three years before burial; common people select a burial date. During the burial, the body is placed on a boat, dragged along the ground, or transported in a small cart.
There is a Mount Asu, where stones spontaneously catch fire, with flames shooting up into the sky. The locals find it to be miraculous and often go there to pray and make offerings. There is also a kind of wish-fulfilling pearl, blue in color, about the size of an egg, which glows at night, which is said to be the essence of fish eyes. Silla and Baekje both consider Wa (Japan) a great country, believing that it has many treasures, and they admire Wa, often sending envoys back and forth.
In the year 607 AD, the King of Goryeo sent envoys to the Sui Dynasty. The envoys said, "It is said that the Western Emperor of the Heavenly Buddha (referring to Emperor Yang of Sui) vigorously promotes Buddhism, so we have come to pay respects and have brought dozens of monks to learn the Buddhist teachings." The letter from Goryeo included phrases such as "Emperor of the Rising Sun sends a letter to the Emperor of the Setting Sun, wishing you well." Emperor Yang of Sui was not pleased after reading it, and told the Chief of Protocol, who was responsible for receiving foreign envoys, "The letters from these barbarians are disrespectful; don't let me see such things again in the future!"
The following year, Emperor Yang of Sui sent the Gentleman of the Palace, Pei Qing, as an envoy to Wa (Japan). Pei Qing first passed through Baekje, arrived at Take Island, saw Silla to the south, and then passed through the Dosma country, all of which were in the sea. He continued east, arriving at a country called Yizhi, then arrived at Chusi country, and further east to a place known as the Kingdom of Qin Wang, where the people resembled those from the Central Plains. The locals regarded it as a barbarian land, but Pei Qing was not entirely sure. He traversed more than ten countries before reaching the coast of Wa. From Chusi country eastward, all these countries fell under Wa's jurisdiction.
The King of Wo dispatched Xiao De Abaitai to lead several hundred people, set up a ceremonial procession, and welcome Pei Qing with gongs and drums. Ten days later, the King of Wo sent Dali Gedopi to lead more than two hundred cavalry to the outskirts to welcome Pei Qing. After Pei Qing arrived at the capital of Wo, the King of Wo and Pei Qing were overjoyed to meet each other. The King of Wo said, "I have heard that in the west there is a great Sui Dynasty, known for its etiquette, so I sent people to pay tribute. We barbarians live in remote places by the sea and do not understand etiquette, which is why we delayed welcoming you and could not meet you right away. Now I have specially cleaned the roads and decorated the buildings to warmly welcome the ambassador, hoping to learn the advanced culture of the Sui Dynasty." Pei Qing replied, "The emperor's grace extends throughout the heavens and the earth, and his blessings flow throughout the four seas. Because you admire the culture of the Sui Dynasty, the emperor has sent me here to convey his decree." Then the King of Wo arranged accommodations for Pei Qing.
Later, Pei Qing sent a messenger to inform the King of Wo, "The imperial order has been conveyed; please return to your country at your earliest convenience." So the King of Wo hosted a banquet for Pei Qing and sent envoys to accompany him back to his country to pay tribute with local specialties. From then on, the exchanges between Wo and the Sui Dynasty came to a halt.
The historian noted that the valleys and rivers have diverse geographical environments, and the people living there possess distinct customs, preferences, and desires, and their languages are also mutually unintelligible. The sage developed educational policies tailored to the circumstances of the time to achieve their wishes and align their customs and habits with those of the Central Plains.
The Nine Yi people live far away from the Central Plains, but they are naturally kind and gentle, without a rough and brutal atmosphere. Although they are separated by distant mountains, rivers, and seas, they can be easily guided through education. During the Xia and Shang dynasties, they sometimes came to pay homage to the emperor. It was only after Jizi fled to Korea that eight prohibitions were established, which were straightforward and easy to implement, exerting a lasting influence on education for a thousand years.
In Liaodong, some countries dress similarly to those in the Central Plains, and some have incorporated Central Plains customs into their daily lives. They enjoy studying classics and historical books, loving literature and history. Many people frequently travel to the capital to study, engaging in constant exchanges, even if some die or get lost along the way, they still do not return. If it weren't for the positive customs established by the sages, how could this situation arise? Therefore, Confucius said, "Speak faithfully and keep your promises, act with seriousness and respect, even in the land of barbarians." This statement is spot on! The Liaodong countries have more to offer than merely rough arrows as tribute.
From the unification of the remnants of the Zhou Dynasty by Emperor Gaozu of Han, the blessings began in the Central Plains and continued until the Kaihuang era when the Sui Dynasty began to conquer Liaodong. However, due to unfavorable circumstances, the army achieved no victories. The two emperors of the Sui Dynasty, upon inheriting the throne, were ambitious to conquer the world, launching multiple expeditions to the Korean Peninsula and launching powerful crossbow bolts. Those small countries, fearing extinction, dared to resist like cornered beasts. The wars dragged on endlessly, resulting in widespread chaos and ultimately leading to the collapse of these small countries and the loss of their people. Military books say, "Countries dedicated to developing good governance will prosper, while those dedicated to expanding their territories will perish." However, the Liaodong region has long been excluded from the jurisdiction of prefectures and counties. Those countries have always paid tribute on time without interruption. The two emperors of the Sui Dynasty were proud and complacent, believing that no one in the world was more powerful than themselves. Failing to use cultural influence to win them over, they instead rashly launched wars. Relying on strength internally, while thinking of expanding territories externally, inviting resentment through pride and provoking wars through anger. No country has ever survived in such a manner throughout history. Therefore, how can we not take seriously the need to be vigilant against the barbarians?
