The Publication of ZHU Xi's Collected Works in the Early Edo Period and the Popularization of "General Knowledge": The Compilation and Characteristics of Shushi bunpan Edited by Kaibara Ekiken

In the early Edo period, Shushi bunpan compiled by Japanese Neo-Confucianist scholar Kaibara Ekiken was the earliest anthology of ZHU Xi's articles in Japan, which played an important role in the dissemination of ZHU Xi's thoughts in Japan. Kaibara Ekiken's works emphasized simplicity and easy understanding, and Shushi bunpan also popularized ZHU Xi's thoughts in the form of anthology, which helped ZHU Xi's philosophy become a "general knowledge" in the Edo period. The compilation of Shushi bunpan was also a response to the anti- Zhuzi School at that time, represented by the "School of Ancient Meanings" of Ito Jinsai and Ogyu Sorai. Seventy selected articles from Shushi bunpan cover various genres of ZHU Xi's writings, with a particular emphasis on his ideological works, reading book, and self-cultivation. From the perspective of the history of East Asian Sinographic literature, Korean scholars had also compiled anthologies of ZHU Xi's articles, such as Chuja munrok, Chumun choson, and Chuja hoeson. These anthologies have similarities and differences with Shushi bunpan, reflecting the different aspects of East Asian scholars' reading and appreciation of ZHU Xi's articles.