Professor Yamabe Susumu giving a presentation at the Faculty of Literature.

Following up on the collaborative program on Japanese-Chinese language instruction that began in September 2008, Professor Yamabe Susumu (Nishogakusha University, Tokyo, Japan) gave a presentation on various issues at the Faculty of Literature from September 8-10, 2009.Chinese language instruction; History of Chinese language education and the reception of Confucianism in Japan..

Attending the presentation were lecturers, postgraduate students, and undergraduate students from the Department of Sino-Vietnamese Studies (Faculty of Literature), the Department of Japanese Studies (Faculty of Oriental Studies), researchers from the Center for Chinese Studies (University of Social Sciences and Humanities), the Institute of Sino-Vietnamese Studies, and the Institute of Literature (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences).

In the first session (morning of September 8, 2009), Professor Yamabe Susumu briefly presented some key points.content of last year's presentation aboutChinese Language Education and the History of the Introduction of Chinese Characters to Japan, as part of the course content for the new graduate students in Sino-Vietnamese studies. In the remaining two sessions, Professor Yamabe Susumu spent time presenting an overview of issues such as:History of Chinese language education and the reception of Confucianism in JapanThe lectures were lively and covered many new topics, making them captivating for the audience. Confucianism spread from Baekje to Japan, at the latest between the 5th and 6th centuries. With the help of variousHuman raceThe To Rai Jin (渡来人) came from the Korean Peninsula, and Confucianism and numerous Chinese texts were known to the Japanese aristocracy. Since then, Confucianism and Chinese-language education have been highly valued and developed in Japan. The reception of Chinese culture in Japan, with Confucianism at its core, has undergone many changes, with the following main phases:

1.During the Nara and Heian periods (7th-12th centuries), education was concentrated in the hands of the Kuge (the Emperor and members of the Imperial family). The Daigakuryo (educational institutions) and Hakaseke (scholars belonging to the aristocratic class) played a significant role in the teaching of Chinese characters in Japan. The defining characteristic of Confucianism during this period was Han Confucianism. The Confucian classics used were all commentaries on Han Confucianism. However, from the latter half of the 10th century, due to the Hakaseke's monopoly on education, the Daigakuryo gradually declined, replaced by the rise of private schools.

2.During the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (late 12th to the latter half of the 16th century), the mainstream of Chinese-language scholarship and literature shifted from Kuge to Jike (temple houses), marked by the influence of Zen Buddhist monks and temples. This led to the formation of the Five Mountains Zen literary tradition in Kamakura and Kyoto. Monks and merchants under the Shogunate's protection spread Song Dynasty culture from China to Japan, causing Japanese Confucianism to shift from Han Confucianism to Song Confucianism (Zhuge Confucianism).

3.During the Edo period (17th to the first half of the 19th century), the weakening of the Muromachi Shogunate led to a tendency for the school to move away from the Five Mountains to the provinces, but Zhu Xi's teachings still held a dominant position, originating from Zen Buddhist monasteries. Zhu Xi's teachings were promoted and flourished by Confucian scholars—those who followed Zhu Xi's teachings. However, many Confucian scholars also opposed Zhu Xi's doctrine, emphasizing "status" and promoting Han Confucianism. By the Kensho era (1790), due to the prohibition of heterodox learning, Zhu Xi's teachings effectively became the official education system (official school) of the Edo Shogunate. In the lectures, especially the final one, there were many questions, exchanges, and discussions between the teacher and the audience. The issues raised by the audience were all relevant to the subject: the impact of Yangming Studies on Japanese society? What were the unique characteristics of Zhu Xi's teachings in Japan? After the ban on heterodox learning was implemented to promote Zhu Xi's teachings during the Kensei period (1790), did the phenomenon of "anti-Zhu Xi's learning" still exist in Japan? The transmission and influence of the book system.CompleteWhat was the influence of Confucianism during the Ming Dynasty (China) on Japan? How does the teaching of classical Chinese in Japan compare to the translation of Confucian classics into Vietnamese script (Nôm) in Vietnam? Part of the success of these sessions is due to the enthusiastic support of the translators, including researcher and translator Dr. Nguyen Thi Oanh (Institute of Han Nom Studies) and several young lecturers from the Faculty of Oriental Studies (University of Social Sciences and Humanities).

Professor Yamabe Susumu comes from21st Century Center for SinologyProfessor Yamabe Susumu is from Nishigakusha University (Tokyo, Japan). He came to Vietnam at the invitation of Associate Professor Pham Van Khoai (Department of Sino-Vietnamese Studies) and with the enthusiastic support of the Faculty of Literature - University of Social Sciences and Humanities. During working sessions between Professor Yamabe Susumu and the staff of the Department of Sino-Vietnamese Studies, both sides agreed to work together to maintain long-term cooperation, making teaching and academic exchange between the two sides an annual activity within the training program of the Department of Sino-Vietnamese Studies.