Dam yeom rip bon wang hee do, from Gugong Bowuguan China, 6th century

6th century ce, envoys (ambassadors) visit china (tang dynasty). Left to right: wa (japan), silla and baekje (korean kingdoms). Silla and baekje were tributary kingdoms of china. Japan was outside the tributary system of china. It was not a vassal of china in the 6th century. It's diplomatic stance was more of equal powers, which infuriated the tang dynasty. So they depicted the japanese envoy as less civilized.