眾所周知，古代日本透過遣隨使、遣唐使、遣渤海使、渤海使，從中國大陸吸收了大量文化。從朝鮮半島的百濟也傳來了漢字、儒教、佛教、醫學、卜易、曆法等文化，甚至也有五經博士和卜易、曆法、醫學博士渡海到日本。除了正式的使節團之外，一般認為透過貿易船也進行了各式各樣的交易。例如，日本平安時代初期的物語文學《竹取物語》的〈火鼠裘〉難題故事中出現的〈唐人船〉，就是其中一個例子。若再進一步試著檢視《竹取物語》中的五則難題故事的話，除〈唐人船〉帶來的〈火鼠裘〉外，也出現了〈佛祖石缽〉、〈東海逢萊山〉、〈龍頸五彩明珠〉以及〈燕子的安產貝〉等物品，這些寶物在古文獻中都有記載，似乎都存在於中國大陸境外，特別是印度。從這些文獻記載來看，《竹取物語》的赫映耶姬，好像有意從以中國和印度為中心的全世界求取寶物。《竹取物語》的作者既有如此這般的知識背景，那麼傳到古代日本的外來文化，主要還是受到中國文化的影響，這是無庸置疑的。不過，推想可知，這同時日本也一起受到匯流入中國的周邊文化的影響。因此，包括在印度文明以及中國漢字圈文化內的亞洲整體文化的軌跡，是可以在日本追蹤得到的。研究初期先將視點置於由滿腹學問素養及知性好奇心的平安時代初期的文人作者所創作出的物語文學上，嘗試考察一下，在物語文學中「亞洲」如何被敘述。特別要舉出《竹取物語》中的五則難題故事，以及〈宇津保物語〉中的秘琴傳說為例來加以檢視。

It is widely known that Japan had absorbed much of the Chinese culture by sending Japanese missions to Sui China, Japanese missions to Tang China, Japanese missions to Balhae and Balhae missions to Japan. Through Baekje of the Korean Peninsula, Kanji was introduced to Japan, and so was Confucianism, Buddhism, Medicine, fortune-telling, calendar and others. Even Doctor of Five Classics of Confucianism, Doctor of Fortune-telling, Doctor of Calendar, Doctor of Medicine have sailed across the sea to Japan. Apart from the official missions, it is also believed that exchanges have been carried out on merchandise ships. For example, in Taketorimonogatari of the Heian Period, Chinese ships were mentioned in the story of Leather Clothes of the Fire Mouse. If we closely examine the five tales of difficult problems in Taketorimonogatari we will find other examples, such as Stone Bowl of Buddha, the mountains of Horai of the East Sea, five-colored balls of the neck of the dragon, shellfish of the safe delivery of the swallow and others. These treasures, recorded in classical literatures, appear to exist outside China, most likely in India. According to these literatures, Kaguyahime in Taketorimonogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) intends to seek for the treasures from China and India as center of the world. The knowledge of these treasures in Taketorimonogatari is evidence that Japanese culture was indeed influenced by Chinese culture. Deducing in this manner, Japan must have been also influenced by other cultures that have been spread to China. Therefore, this is reason why the Indian civilization and Kanji may be traced in Japanese culture. This research will focus on how Asia is described in monogatori written in the early Heian Period of Japan, a period of erudition and intellectual curiosity. This research aims to examine the five tales of difficult problems in the Taketorimonogatari, and the Legend of the mysterious koto which is a mystery in Utsubo Monogatari (Tale of the Hollow Tree).