Buddhist Master Ingen and the Spread of OubaKu Culture to the Japan

Japan’s academic & ideological independence from foreign influence began in the time of Edo. Her assimilation of the Chinese culture also ended in the time of Edo. Following the Sakoku (national isolation) policy adopted by the Tokugawa Bakuhu in the early 17th century, Nagasaki harbor in Kyushu became the only contact point for Sino-Japan cultural exchange. But given that the teachings of Confucian scholar Zhu Xi (Zhu Zi) was the orthodox school at that time under the Bakuhan system, Confucianism was prevalent in the Japanese society. Intellectuals in particular were keen on learning the Chinese culture. The Tokugawa Bakuhu that lasted more than two hundred years also made substantial efforts in encouraging the Han school of learning. Confucian & Han scholars in Japan at the time vied for the opportunity to study in Nagasaki & took mastery in Chinese scholarship as their lifetime achievement. Besides submitting themselves to Confucian teachings with reverence, they wholeheartedly embraced ancient Chinese books, poetry, & painting. It was the unprecedented flourishing period for Han school