Introduction

At first glance, the focus of a Handbook of East Asian Translation might seem obvious. East Asia is considered to be a clearly defined region, encompassing Greater China (including the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), Japan, and Korea (both North and South). It is often identifiable, as one puts it, as “the part of the world that eats with chopsticks” (Holcombe 2017, p. 3). However, the links that bind these modern nation states can often seem more historical than contemporary. The countries of East Asia long shared a tradition of using the Chinese script,1 adopted political and legal structures inspired by Confucianism, and developed cross-fertilizing Buddhist religious practices. However, these commonalities have considerably weakened. Not only are there now diverse political systems in the region, but Confucianism also has a less overt influence on political and legal structures. Moreover, religion plays a much-reduced role in daily life. In light of weakening historical bonds and increasing divergence in the character of the nation states that make up this region, is there still value in looking at East Asia as a single unit? More immediately, when it comes to translation, of what benefit is a regional approach?.