Official Relations between Japan and China, 1368-1419

The article deals with official relations between Japan and China for the period 1368-1419. After almost 600 years gap the formal diplomatic relations between Japan and Ming China were reestablished in 1401. However, this was preceded by a series of aborted attempts, and in 1419 at the initiative of Japan relations were broken off again, but were re-reestablished in 1433. The paper attempts to find out historical reasons for such long-drawn-out process towards reshaping mutual relations and sudden changes in Japan foreign policy. The article includes translations of documents from Zenrin Kokuhoki, the first Japanese collection of diplomatic documents (1470).