President Lee Jae-myung is holding a full-side bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the G20 summit held at the Nasrec Expo Center in South Africa on November 23 last year (local time). Photo: Presidential Photojournalist Group
President Lee Jae-myung will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Nara, Japan on the 13th and 14th, marking his first visit to Japan since taking office.
The upcoming summit takes place amid heightened international attention, following Prime Minister Takaichi’s comments regarding potential intervention in Taiwan and escalating tensions between China and Japan over rare earth export controls. It also follows President Lee’s recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Takaichi’s ‘Home Field’ Advantage
The meeting will be held in Nara, the ancient capital of Japan and Prime Minister Takaichi’s hometown. Takaichi first ran for office as an independent candidate in the 1993 general election in Nara, and has represented the area for ten consecutive terms. This invitation is, in essence, a gesture of hosting in her ‘home room.’
Choosing a leader’s hometown over the capital for a summit isn’t unprecedented in international diplomacy.
In 2016, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, his electoral district. Similarly, in 2015, President Xi Jinping invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Xi’an, his political base, rather than Beijing.
Diplomats believe inviting a leader to one’s ‘home room’ can emphasize intimacy and foster a special rapport. Former Prime Minister Abe, in his 2023 memoir, explained, “Inviting someone to my home instead of a restaurant makes them feel I’ve won their heart. That’s why I called President Putin to Nagato, my hometown and where my father’s grave is located.”
Former President Donald Trump also frequently held meetings with world leaders, including Shinzo Abe, Xi Jinping, and Benjamin Netanyahu, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, rather than the White House.
Chinese tourists taking a group photo at Todaiji Temple in Nara City. JoongAng Photo
The potential location for the summit, according to multiple Japanese media outlets including the Mainichi Shimbun, is Nara’s historic Todai-ji Temple.
During the Nara period (710-794), Nara served as Japan’s capital and a flourishing center for Buddhist culture. Todai-ji Temple, among the many cultural treasures created during this era, stands out as the most famous. Built during the reign of Emperor Shomu, it’s renowned for its Great Buddha Hall and the 16-meter-tall bronze Great Buddha statue housed within.
However, Japanese media analysis suggests Todai-ji’s significance extends beyond its cultural importance. The Mainichi Shimbun reported last month that the temple holds deep ties to immigrants from Baekje, a Korean kingdom. These individuals, known as Doraein, migrated to Japan in ancient times, contributing significantly to the region’s technological and cultural advancements.
Both Korean and Japanese scholars believe that the construction of Todai-ji Temple, particularly the bronze Great Buddha, was largely undertaken by people of Baekje descent. Evidence supporting this claim can be found in the 『Todaiji Yorok (東大寺要錄)』, compiled in the 12th century. This text records that “Kuninakano Kimimaro, 4th Rank, Great Buddha… originally belonged to the Baekje Kingdom.” (大佛師從四位下國中公麿者, 元百濟國人)
“Daebulsa (大佛師)” refers to the chief sculptor of the Great Buddha, who held the rank of 4th in the imperial court. Thus, the passage indicates that Kuni Nakano Kimimaro, the 4th-rank official overseeing the Great Buddha’s creation, was originally from Baekje.
The Baekje Legacy
Todaiji Bronze Giant Buddha (left) and sculpture painted on the lower lotus petal (right)
Todai-ji was founded in 745, several decades after the fall of Baekje in 660. Following Baekje’s collapse, a significant number of its people immigrated to Japan by sea. Professor Song Wan-beom of Korea University, in his thesis “Society and Cultural Character of the ‘Baekje King Clan’ in the Nara Period,” explains that these immigrants were categorized by skill sets, including technology, knowledge, and civil engineering, and played a vital role as skilled engineers in Japanese society.
Many Baekje immigrants settled in Naniwa (modern-day Osaka). The monk Gyogi, who oversaw fundraising for Todai-ji’s construction, was born in Naniwa in 668 and is believed to be a descendant of the Baekje king, Haksa.
Kyofuku Kudaranokonikishi, who donated 900 taels of gold towards the Buddha statue at Todai-ji, was also of Baekje origin. As a local governor of Mutsu, he reportedly mobilized Baekje gold craftsmen to extract the necessary gold.
His name clearly indicates his Baekje heritage. Kudaranokonikishi Kyofuku’s surname, ‘Kudaranokonikishi (百濟王),’ translates to ‘King of Baekje (百濟王)’ in Korean, while Kyofuku (敬福) is equivalent to Gyeongbok. Thus, his full name signifies ‘Baekje King Gyeongbok.’ ‘Kudara’ was the Japanese term for Baekje at the time. According to 『Sinchanseongsirok』, compiled in Japan in 815, the Baekje King clan was officially recognized by the Japanese government in 691 when Buyeo Seongwang, son of King Uija, was naturalized.
Choi Eun-young, a senior researcher at the Chungnam History and Culture Research Institute, recently published a paper (“The Todai people of Baekje descent in ancient Japan as seen through Todai-ji Temple – Focusing on the golden offering of King Gyeongbok of Baekje”) stating that the gold used at that time was the first gold produced in Japan and “played a decisive role in completing the plating” of the Great Buddha.
Historical Diplomacy at Play
President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung are taking a commemorative photo at the ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai held at the Provisional Government Building Memorial Hall in Shanghai on the afternoon of the 7th. Photo: Blue House Photojournalist Group
During the Korea-China summit in Beijing on the 6th, President Xi Jinping urged President Lee Jae-myung to “stand on the right side of history and make the right strategic choice.” According to China’s official statement, President Xi emphasized that “About 80 years ago, Korea and China made great national sacrifices and achieved victory against Japanese militarism,” and called for continued cooperation to “preserve the victory in World War II and protect peace and stability in Northeast Asia.”
Regarding President Lee’s visit to the Provisional Government Building of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai on the 7th, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, Yang Si-yu, noted that the building “is evidence of the historical friendship that the Korean and Chinese people helped each other with all their might during the Anti-Japanese War, and today, the two countries must join hands even more to protect the results of victory in World War II.”
This is widely interpreted as an attempt to potentially create divisions in the Korea-U.S.-Japan triangle by proposing a Korea-China alignment based on shared historical narratives.
With China leveraging modern and contemporary history, Japan is responding with ancient history through the ‘Todaiji’ card, symbolizing cooperation between Baekje and Japan. The choice of Todai-ji Temple as the meeting venue—a temple built with the contributions of Baekje immigrants who were ultimately subjugated by the Tang Dynasty (China)—adds another layer of complexity to the diplomatic exchange.
