In the lst--9th centuries, Japanese embassage to China largely took the then Chinese capital Luoyang as the main destination of the envoys. At the end of the 8th century and after, Japan had her national capital in Heiankyo, i.e. Kyoto in later times. From about the 12th century, the Japanese called Heiankyo and Kyoto “Keiraku 京洛”, “Rakuto 洛都”, “Rakuchu 洛中” and even “Rakuyo 洛阳”, and the trip to Kyoto “going to the capital Raku 上洛” or “entering Raku 入洛”, which well reflects the important position of the ancient Chinese capital Luoyang in the history of Sino-Japanese relations. The present paper describes the layout and size of Luoyang in different historical periods and Japanese missions' activities in the city, and discusses the reason why the Japanese called Heiankyo and Kyoto“Keiraku”, “Rakuto”, “Rakuchu” and even “Rakuyo”.
Based on ancient Chinese and Japanese literary records and combining them with remains and objects known from archaeological surveys and excavations in the two countries, the present paper discusses in detail the causes and effects of the 7th envoy-sending of Japan to the Tang Empire in the early sib century, as well as its great significance and influence in the history of ancient Sino-Japanese relations. As the Tang dynasty capital Chang’an was the mission’s main place of activities, the author focuses his major attention on it. He gives an account of the Daminggong Palace, Hanyuandian and Lindedian pavilions, Dragon - tail Steps, Ximingsi Temple and Crown Prince Zhanghai’s and Dugu Sizhen’s tombs along with the sea animal and grape design bronze mirror unearthed from the latter grave, all of which were directly or indirectly concerned with the Japanese mission.
The Lindedian Pavilion in the Daminggong Palace of Chang'an, the capital of Tang China, was built in the 660s and functionated exclusively as the place for various banquets. In the palace city of the Japanese capital Heiankyo built at the end of the 8th century, there was the palace called "Burakuyin", which was also specially for banqueting. Based on archaeologically excavated remains, as well as many records in historical books, the present paper argues that Burakuyin of Japan was built by following the function of China's Lindedian Pavilion. In addition, in the palace city of Heijokyo, the capital of Japan in the 710s- 770s, there was the palace "Saigu" built in the mid 8th century, which functionated mainly as the place for banqueting and resembled the Chinese pavilion Lindedian in architectural form. It can be believed that the construction of Burakuyin in the palace city of Heiankyo capital was also influenced by Saigu in the palace city of Heijokyo capital.
The territory of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, was called Izumo in ancient times. In 1984--1985, 358 swords, six small bells and 16 spearheads, all bronzes, were unearthed from the Kojindani site in this prefecture, which constituted an unprecedented discovery in Japanese archaeology. In 1996, the Kamoiwakura site not far away from Kojindani yielded 39 small bronze bells, offering further evidence of the splendor of the ancient Izumo culture represented by bronzes and dated to about 2000BP.
