A Historical Study of "Wang Zhao's Letter to Ōkuma Shigenobu": On the Connection Between a Qing Exile and Ōkuma
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study focuses on the "Wang Zhao Letter" (王照書翰), an autograph manuscript housed at Waseda University that includes a Chinese poem and envelope addressed to kuma Shigenobu (1838Shigenobu ( -1922) ) by Qing exile Wang Zhao .Previous research has primarily centered on Wangʼs phonetic script invention and his activities in K chi, with limited attention to his overall stay in Japan or his interaction with kuma.This paper seeks to fill that gap by conducting a philological and contextual analysis of the letter and its associated poem, employing annotated translation and historical document comparison.Through a close reading of the letter and relevant materials such as Wangʼs poetry collection Xueni Yiyin and Japanese diplomatic records, this study establishes that Wang visited kumaʼs residence on January 13, 1899, and likely composed the letter shortly thereafter.The analysis also matches the poemʼs imagery of a greenhouse and garden with actual features of the Waseda estate at the time, illustrating how Wangʼs personal experience was transformed into poetic expression.The paper demonstrates that the "Wang Zhao Letter" serves not only as literary evidence of cross-cultural interaction but also as a rare primary historical document confirming Wangʼs personal connection with kuma.By clarifying this specific episode during Wangʼs exile, the study contributes to a more detailed understanding of the intellectual and spatial dimensions of early Sino-Japanese political encounters.
DOI: 10.20556/0002006683
Authors: 栗原, 諄壱, Kurihara, Junichi
Language: English
Topic: Japanese History and Culture
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7111170930
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