德川幕府统制的江户时代的前中期,相当于明朝的最后40年至清朝的道光年间。由于日本国内统一的实现,幕府将军对文化事业的重视,藩国大名、藩儒和一般町民对汉学兴趣的渐增,从而将江户时代中国文化的影响推至空前高度。除了在儒学、史学、文学和本草学等具体领域的影响外,其深层作用则表现为给予日本武士地位至上的传统以儒家等级思想的内涵,从而促动了文武互补的日本近世文化的构建。

The early and middle years ruled by Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan corresponds to the period from the last 40 years in Ming Dynasty to the years of Daoguang Reign in Qing Dynasty in China.Thanks to Japan's achieving unification of the whole country,shoganate attaching importance to culture,and Daimyou,intellectuals in vassal states and civilians' developing an increasing interest in Chinese culture,laid an unprecedented influence on Japan in Edo Period.Apart from having an influence on concrete fields of Confucianism,history,literature,medicine and so on,Chinese culture influenced Japan deeply by adding the idea of social stratification in Confucianism to the Japanese tradition of warriors enjoying the highest social status,so that the modern Japanese culture characterized by being well complemented by military and civil development was impelled to form.