Reconstructing the Japan-Silla Sea Route through the Man'yōshū Envoy Songs

This study aims to reconstruct the sea route taken by the Japanese diplomatic mission dispatched to Silla in 736, based on the Kenshirashi no Uta (“Poems of the Envoys to Silla”) included in Book 15 of the Man’yōshū, Japan’s oldest extant poetry anthology. The mission, headed by Abe no Asomikimaro, left from Naniwatsu (modern Osaka), and the 145 poems composed during the journey offer critical insights into the actual stages of the envoy’s travel. The poems are chronologically arranged and reflect the changing geographical and emotional circumstances of the participants. Based on textual analysis, the route begins at Naniwatsu, proceeding through ports along the Seto Inland Sea including Akashiura, Tamaura, Fusokura, and Nomoura, before arriving at Tsukushikan near Fukuoka. From there, the envoys crossed the Korea Strait via itineraries through Han-tomari, Hiki-tomari, and Komashima-tomari, reaching Iki Island and Tsushima. On Tsushima, they entered Asowan Bay, stopping at Asajiura and Takeshikiura. Finally, crossing the western channel of the strait, they landed near modern Geoje Island and reached Silla’s port in the Sacheon area, which served as the outer harbor of the administrative center of Cheongju (present-day Jinju). This paper demonstrates that literary sources like the Man’yōshū can be used to empirically reconstruct early East Asian diplomatic and maritime routes, revealing not only the physical geography of travel but also the diplomatic infrastructure and environmental adaptations of the period.