Brushtalk

Brushtalk is a form of written communication using Literary Chinese to facilitate diplomatic and casual discussions between people of the countries in the Sinosphere, which include China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

History
Brushtalk was first used in China as a way to engage in "silent conversations". Beginning from the Sui dynasty, the scholars from China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam could use their mastery of Classical Chinese (漢文 kanbun; ; Vietnamese: , chữ Hán: ) to communicate without any prior knowledge of spoken Chinese.

The earliest and initial accounts of Sino-Japanese brushtalks date back to during the Sui dynasty (581–618). By an account written in 1094, minister Ono no Imoko (小野 妹子) was sent to China as an envoy. One of his goals there was to obtain Buddhist sutras to bring back to Japan. In one particular instance, Ono no Imoko had met three old monks. During their encounter, due to them not sharing a common language, held a "silent conversation" by writing Chinese characters on the ground using a stick.

"The old monk wrote on the ground: "Regarding the Zen Master, what title does he have there?"" "Ono no Imoko answered: "I am from Japan, originally known as the Wa country. Situated in the middle of the Eastern Sea, it takes three years to travel here. Currently, we have Prince Shōtoku, but no Zen Master. He venerates the teachings of Buddhism, propagating profound teachings. He personally expounds upon various scriptures and creates commentaries on their meanings. Following his orders, I have come here to bring with me the single volume of the Lotus Sutra that he possessed in the past, and nothing else."" "The old monk and others were overjoyed and instructed a novice monk to retrieve it. After a moment, the scripture was brought in, placed in a lacquered box." The Vietnamese revolutionary Phan Bội Châu in 1905-1906 conducted several brushtalks with several other Chinese revolutionaries such as Sun Yat-sen (孫中山) and reformist Liang Qichao (梁啓超) in Japan during his Đông Du movement. During his brushtalk with Li Qichao, it was noted that Phan Bội Châu was able to communicate with Liang Qichao using Chinese characters. They both sat at a table and exchanged sheets of paper back and forth. However, when Phan Bội Châu tried reading what he wrote in his Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation, the pronunciation was unintelligible to Cantonese-speaking Liang Qichao. They discussed topics mainly involving the pan-Asian anti-colonial movement. These brushtalks later led to the publishing of the book, History of the Loss of Vietnam (Việt Nam vong quốc sử; chữ Hán: ) written in Literary Chinese.

During one brushtalk between Phan Bội Châu and Inukai Tsuyoshi (犬養 毅),

"Inukai Tsuyoshi: "Regarding the matter of seeking assistance, has there also been approval from the esteemed figures within your country? If the country is a monarchy, it would be appropriate to have a member of the imperial lineage. Have you all considered this matter?"" "Phan Bội Châu: "Yes"" "Inukai Tsuyoshi: "It is advisable to ensure that this person leaves the country so that he does not fall into the hands of the French authorities."" "Phan Bội Châu: "We have already considered this matter."" "Okuma Shigenobu, Inukai Tsuyoshi, and Liang Qichao: "Supporting you in the name of the party [of Japan] is possible, but using military force to aid you is currently not opportune. Can you gentlemen endure patiently and await the day for seizing the opportunity?"" "Phan Bội Châu: "If I could endure patiently, what reason do I have not to weep for help in the Qin court?""

About a hundred of Phan Bội Châu's brushtalks in Japan can be found in Phan Bội Châu's book, Chronicles of Phan Sào Nam (Phan Sào Nam niên biểu; chữ Hán: ).

There are several instances in the Chronicles of Phan Sào Nam that mentions brushtalks were used to communicate.

""used Literary Chinese as a [communication] medium"" ""Sun [Yat-sen] took out a brush and paper so we can converse"" ""using brushtalk, we engaged in serious and detailed question and answer exchanges.""



Pseudo-Chinese
Kōno Tarō (河野 太郎) during his visit to Beijing in 2019 tweeted his schedule, but only using Chinese characters (no kana) as a way of connecting with Chinese followers. While the text is not like Chinese nor is it like Japanese, it was fairly understandable by Chinese speakers. It is a good example of Pseudo-Chinese (偽中国語) and how the two countries can somewhat communicate with each other with writing. The tweet resembled how brushtalks were used in the past.

"八月二十二日日程. 同行記者朝食懇談会、故宮博物院Digital故宮見学、故宮景福宮参観、李克強総理表敬、中国外交有識者昼食懇談会、荷造、帰国.Daily schedule of 22 August. Breakfast meeting with accompanying reporters, visit to the Forbidden City’s Digital Palace, visit to the Forbidden City’s Jingfu Palace, courtesy visit with Premier Li Keqiang, lunch meeting with experts on Chinese diplomacy, packing, and returning home."

Examples
One famous example of brushtalk is a conversation between a Vietnamese envoy (Phùng Khắc Khoan; ) and a Korean envoy (Yi Su-gwang; ) meeting in Beijing to wish prosperity for the Wanli Emperor (1597). The envoys exchanged dialogue and poems between each other. These poems followed traditional metrics which was made up of eight seven-syllable lines (七言律詩). It is noted by Yi Su-gwang that out of the 23 people in 's delagation, only one person knew spoken Chinese meaning that the rest had to either use brushtalks or an interpreter to communicate.

Two Poems in Presentation to the Envoys of Annam () – Korean question
These poems were complied in the eighth volume of Yi Su-gwang's book, Jibongseonsaengjip.

Reply to the Envoy of Joseon, Yi Su-gwang () - Vietnamese response
These poems were complied in Phùng Khắc Khoan's book, Mai Lĩnh sứ hoa thi tập.

Brushtalk with Lê Quý Đôn and I Sangbong
Another encounter with Korean envoy (I Sangbong; ) and Vietnamese envoy (Lê Quý Đôn; chữ Hán: ) on 30 December 1760, led to a brushtalk about the dress customs of Đại Việt, it was recorded in the third volume of the book, Bugwollok ,

"The vice envoy said: "Our country has had its governance since the Ming Dynasty. Now, under the reign of His Royal Highness, the Lê family's local customs and traditions are indeed as mentioned. May I respectfully inquire about the surname of your esteemed royal highness?"" "I Sangbong said: "In our country, the king's surname is I (李). In your esteemed country, what is revered and esteemed between Confucianism and Buddhism?"" "said: "In our country, we equally respect the three teachings, but Confucianism, with its eternal principles, rites, and music, is universally upheld. These are considered essential for governance. I believe that even in great countries, the pursuit of such values is shared with the same sincerity."" "I Sangbong said: "Indeed, the cultural artifacts of your esteemed country, especially in rituals, music, and literature, are no less impressive than those of China. I have heard about it before. Today, seeing the splendid ceremonial attire and the regulations for attire and headgear, it seems reminiscent of our Eastern customs. Even the hairstyles and the lacquered teeth has its own basis. Fortunately, I can inquire and learn more. Please enlighten me.""

I Sangbong was fascinated with the Vietnamese custom of teeth blackening after seeing the Vietnamese envoys with blackened teeth.

A passage in the book, Jowanbyeokjeon, also mentions these customs,

"In that country, both men and women all tie up their hair and go barefoot, without shoes or sandals. Even officials and nobility are the same. As for the respected individuals, they blacken their teeth." The author Jo Wanbyeok was sold to the Japanese by the Korean military, but since he was excellent in reading Chinese characters, the Japanese traders brought him along. From there, he was able to visit Vietnam and was treated as an guest by Vietnamese officials. His biography, Jowanbyeokjeon records his experiences and brushtalks with the Vietnamese.

Brushtalks between Japanese and Vietnamese
Maruyama Shizuo (丸山 静雄), a journalist working in Vietnam noted that he held brushtalks with locals in his book, The Story of Indochina (印度支那物語),

"わたしは終戦前、ベトナムがまだフランスの植民地であったころ、朝日新聞の特派員としてベトナムに滞在した. わたしはシクロ（三輪自転車）を乗りついだり、路地から路地にわざと道を変えて、ベトナムの民族独立運動家たちと会った. 大方、通訳の手をかり、通訳いない場合は、漢文で筆談したが、結構、それで意が通じた. いまでも中年以上のものであれば、漢字を知っており、わたしどもとも漢字で大体の話はできる. 漢字といっても、日本の漢字と、二の地域のそれとはかなり違うが、漢字の基本に変りはないわけで、中国－ベトナム－朝鮮－日本とつながる漢字文化圏の中に、わたしどもは生きていることを痛感する."Before the end of the war (World War II), when Vietnam was still a French colony, I went to Vietnam as a correspondent for Asahi Shimbun. I rode a cyclo (three-wheeled bicycle taxi), deliberately traveling through alleys and lanes to meet with Vietnamese nationalists. Most of the time, I relied on interpreters, and when there was none, I communicated through brushtalks in Classical Chinese, which worked surprisingly well. Even now, anyone who is middle-aged or older knows Chinese characters, we can communicate roughly using Chinese characters. Speaking of Chinese characters, although they are quite different from those in Japan, the basics of Chinese characters remain unchanged. I am keenly aware that we are living in Chinese character cultural sphere that is connected to China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan."

In media

 * A scene in The Partner, a 2013 Japanese-Vietnamese historical film, showed a brushtalk between Phan Bội Châu and Inukai Tsuyoshi (犬養 毅).