Two countries separated only by ʻa narrow strip of waterʼ, China and Japan have a long history of friendly exchanges. Throughout this history, Buddhist monks played a major role in bridging the cultural and religious flow between the two nations. Already in the Nara 奈良Period, many Japanese Buddhist monks braved the dangers of the sea and traveled to Tang China to seek the Dharma. In the Kamakura 鎌倉Period, as envoys between these two nations became more frequent, an increasing number of monks traveled to Song China. We find among these Dharma-seekers such famous names as Eisai榮西, Dogen道元, Enni圓爾, etc. Their journeys and studies in China have been subject to considerable academic investigation, but little is known of Shunjo 俊芿(1166-1227), another important figure in this period. Shunjo arrived in China in the fifth year of the Qingyuan Period (1199) staying there for about twelve years. This is much longer than the periods spent by Eisai, Dogen, or Enni. So far, however, Shunjoʼs life in China has been little studied in spite of the large number of relevant materials. This paper hopes to redress this lacuna and examine Shunjo journey, studies with eminent Chinese monks, and exchanges with contemporary literati. This will help us gain a better understanding of his activities in China as well as the history of the cultural exchanges between the two countries.
