East Asia history of China-centrism, it has been criticized in history education, comes from the concept of a cultural area. The cultural area of East Asia, on the basis of the center-periphery theory, was born as the concept arising from Chinese trib...
East Asia history of China-centrism, it has been criticized in history education, comes from the concept of a cultural area. The cultural area of East Asia, on the basis of the center-periphery theory, was born as the concept arising from Chinese tribute system, Confucianism, Statute, Buddhism and Chinese characters, which covered Korea, Vietnam, Japan, etc. The recognition of cultural area-centered East Asia history makes it difficult to comprehensivery understand entire East Asia beyond one state due to the spreading of Chinese culture to peripheral nations, or due to segmental understanding of history by dynasty or nation.
To overcome the recognition of East Asia with the existing cultural area-centrism, the author takes the viewpoint of "East Asia as a method" , which means a conversion of an angle. Dakeuchi Yoshimi(1910-1977) was the first person who suggested this viewpoint, but Miyazima Hiroshi and Mizoguchi Yuzo developed the viewpoint as a method concept. The most key point in the "East Asia as a method" is the viewpoint of relativization.
The viewpoint of relativization enables us to get out of Ethnocentrism by overcoming Eurocentrism and relativizing States or Nations, and to recognize the region or periphery that has been neglected as the subject of histoIY. It also extends the scope of history of intercommunication or relationship, which could not go beyond two nations before. Most of all, it enables us to constantry raise questions about, and give thoughts to any given values. In addition, it provide us with the various and balanced viewpoint for admitting difference, pursuing coexistence, and co-prosperity, rather than the understanding based on the west, modern, civilization, agriculture, and development.
The history of East Asia is composed of the installation-tribute system in premodern times, and the contents like equality and peace with the tragedy of spoilage, war, discrimination, and oppression in modern times when big events of the world history happened. This look makes us take a view of the history of East Asia in the wide and long constructive view. The author selected the theme and contents that focus on the relativization of state and nation, the periphery's viewpoint and regional viewpoint, the viewpoint of wide relationship and multilayer intercommunication, and the admission of difference.