<Articles>Japanese Preparations for the Reception of the 1748 Diplomatic Mission from Korea, As Seen through the Eyes of Watanabe Zenemon (Special Issue : Food)

DOI HANDLE

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • <論説>渡辺善右衛門にみる朝鮮信使への馳走 (特集 : 食)

Search this article

Abstract

Watanabe Zenemon 渡辺善右衛門, a samurai from the Yodo domain, was charged with the preparations for the reception of the diplomatic mission from Korea in 1748. Watanabe later wrote the Chosenjin raiheiki 朝鮮人来聘記, which is full of information about the three years of preparation, including the provision of food. In the Chosenjin raiheiki, Watanabe also wrote clearly about how samurai from the Yodo domain had different opinions about the appropriate level of hospitality, and how some government officials and local people took advantage of the preparations, thinking only of their own benefit. In this research, I look closely into the on-site preparations and analyze aspects that cannot be understood by thinking about the preparation only in terms those who did the preparations and the diplomatic mission that benefitted from them (that is to say, the Japanese side and the Korean side) while also keeping in mind the multitiered characteristics of the preparation. As a result, I point out that Watanabe saw the Korean people in the diplomatic mission as “rude” but thought that “rudeness” was a feature of Korean culture and he did not make an issue it. I also indicate that for the Yodo domain, the evaluations of the Shogun, close associates of the Shogun, and other domains were much more important than the evaluation of the diplomatic mission, and that the diplomatic mission that required large-scale preparation did not necessarily have much influence on enhancing the Shogunal authority.

Journal

  • 史林

    史林 106 (1), 107-146, 2023-01-31

    THE SHIGAKU KENKYUKAI (The Society of Historical Research), Kyoto University

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top