During the Tang Dynasty, Japanese envoys were sent to study China's advanced culture, and they were then called Tang envoys. They sent China's advanced system, astronomical calendar, writing, classics, calligraphy art and architectural technology back to Japan.

The contacts between the Tang Dynasty and Japan were two-way. Japan sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty, and Jian Zhen, a monk of the Tang Dynasty, visited Japan six times. He finally arrived in Japan in 754, promoted Buddhism, spread Japanese medicine, literature, calligraphy, architecture and painting, and made outstanding contributions to the cultural exchange between China and China.