1 In Ming dynasty China, its participation in the war sapped its vitality and indirectly caused the dynasty’s downfall in 1644. The alliance between China and Korea in the war further solidified their close bond, leaving an enduring cultural legacy, especially in Korea. In Japan, Toyotomi failed to become the ultimate unifier of the country, leaving it to be completed by Tokugawa Ieyasu 德川家康 (1543–1616), his erstwhile associate.
To a great extent, the war that took place in the end of the sixteenth century had impacted all three countries. Unsuccessful in his first attempt in 1592–5, Toyotomi made the second attempt in 1597–8, only to face not only another loss but also his death. The Ming dynasty and Choson dynasty formed a coalition force against the Japanese invasion. As an ally and tributary state of Ming China, Korean rulers of the Choson dynasty (1392–1910) refused Toyotomi’s request and sought help from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) in China. Buoyed by the success of his unification cause, Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豐臣秀吉 (1537–98) launched its invasion in Korea with the claim that he would conquer China by way of Korea. Not only did it involve the same three countries, but its outbreak was also eerily similar. This issue aims to bring readers’ attention to the East Asian War of 1592–8, or the precursor of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–5.
Yet if Japan manifested its ambition in waging the war, it had shown and pursued a similar ambition three centuries earlier, only the outcome was far less favorable.
Korea fared even worse it fell under full control of Japan and, in 1910, also became its formal colony. Shattered and shocked by its defeat, China was caught up in a turmoil that eventually led to the demise of its ruling Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Buoyed by its surprising victory, Japan replaced China to assume the leadership in Asia. In the study of modern Asia, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–5 has usually received ample attention, as it marked a turning point in the histories of all the three countries involved in the war: Japan, China, and Korea.
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