2
the Japanese from Babel to Japan; or we may finally think with Thunberg,[1] that the inhabitants of these islands took their origin from the Chinese. So much is at least sure that the Japanese till the time of Zin-mu Tenno consisted of different hunting tribes, which were gradually united and polished by the developed mind of the first emperor. That Zin-mu at least was not an Autochthone’ but from Tartar descent, we think very probable, although this is not proved. From this time the culture of the Japanese comes from China, either directly or through Corea. The time of the first contact of the Japanese with the Chinese lies in darkness. The Japanese chronicles Nippon-o-daï-ichi-ran and Wa-nen-hei speak of a Chinese doctor Jo-fuku, who came to Japan in 219 B. C. together with many other Chinese colonists, and landed at Kumano in the province Kii. Jo-fuku is said to have come to Japan by order of the Chinese emperor Schie Hoang-ti, to seek and find in this country a herb for immortality. There is some doubt as to the truth of this story, which is accounted by Professor Hoffmann as a myth.[2] This however is pretty sure, that in the year 27 B. C. a Corean envoy out of Sinra (old kingdom of Corea) came to Japan, and presented to the Mikado Sui-nin different precious objects. Prince Atogi, a son of a Corean king, brought in 284 A.D. the first knowledge of Chinese literature to Japan,[3] and in the following year (285) a Chinese philosopher Wang-schin (Japanese Wa-ni) was sent out to teach the Chinese language in Japan. The culture of silk was introduced in Japan by Chinese colonists in the year 463. Chinese artisans built in 468 the first two-storied houses in Japan. But it was principally after the introduction of the Buddhist religion that arts and sciences found their way to Japan by many priests and doctors. The Buddhist religion was brought from India to China in 58-75 A.D., spread in 372 to Corea, from which country Buddhist priests brought this faith to
