Monk Jianzhen’s Journey to Japan

This book tells the story of Jianzhen— a prominent monk, who lived during the Tang Dynasty times in China. He went through many hardships making six attempts to cross the sea to take the Buddhist precepts to Japan. He succeeded in his last attempt. He introduced the advanced culture of the Tang Dynasty (architecture, sculpture, calligraphy, painting, and traditional Chinese medicine) to Japan, which still fuels the development of Japanese culture. The Japanese conferred him with the title “Cultural Benefactor.” He stands high as the symbol of long-term Sino-Japanese cultural exchange!