CASCultural and Arts Studies3083-39573083-3949Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.10.26689/CAS.v2i3.16150ArticleA Study and Interpretation of the Epitaph of In Shinjō—Cross-Cultural Exchange in Tang Dynasty East Asian Ritual Systemhttps://artdesignp.com/journal/CAS/2/3/10.26689/CAS.v2i3.16150YangHong2026232026-06-30In 2004, the “Epitaph Presented to the Imperial Attendant in Shinjō” was unearthed in the eastern suburbs of Xi’an. This epitaph is currently the earliest surviving Tang dynasty stone inscription clearly bearing the name “Japan” and is now housed in the Northwest University History Museum. This paper uses cross-cultural communication theory as the analytical framework, combining epitaph measurements, epitaph interpretation, and Sino-Japanese legal documents to conduct multiple cross-verifications. It systematically analyzes In Shinjō’s time of arrival in China, identity attributes, the origin of his sinicized name, posthumous official titles, and epitaph author, and sorts out his experiences in China. The research finds that In Shinjō was an official cultural medium specially selected by the Japanese court for studying the Tang dynasty imperial clothing and ritual system, representing the state-led institutionalized cross-cultural communication model in 8th-century East Asia; Their voluntary adoption of Han-style names is a typical cultural connotation and identity adjustment behavior during intercultural contact; The Tang court’s posthumous honorary robes and official funeral regulations established a mature mechanism for acceptance, recognition, and symbolic incentives for foreign cultural learners. This epitaph fully preserves the official transmission link of Tang ritual and music civilization to East Asia. The stone inscription itself serves as a cross-cultural communication medium, providing rare first-hand physical materials for understanding pre-modern East Asian transnational cultural flows, dynastic foreign cultural narratives, and negotiation and adjustment among different cultures.In Shinjō’s epitaph, Envoys to Tang, Transmission of ritual systems, Cross-cultural exchange, Tang dynasty foreign management system

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