The Great Figures in the History of Asia series, comprising 12 volumes, is a special project commemorating the 95th anniversary of Shueisha. This series comprehensively documents the history of all regions known as “Asia”, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia. It spans from the mythical age to modern times, featuring memoirs of both renowned and lesser-known figures.

Each volume is generally organized chronologically, starting with Volume 1, which covers the oldest period, the Mythical Age to the 6th Century, and culminating in Volume 12, which addresses the latest period, the 20th to 21st Century. Each volume includes memoirs on figures from various region of Asia, presented in a balanced matter that avoids bias toward any specific region.

At the beginning of each volume, there is a writing titled “On Editing …” by the chief director, Kang Sang-Jung. The first line states “At the heart of an interest in history lies an interest in humans. Just as The Grand Scribe’s Records is supported by The Memoirs, memoirs give strength to history books.” This clearly shows that the intention to establish memoirs as the fundamental narrative form for the book. However, it is important to note that merely listing detailed memoirs cannot create an organic and comprehensive history of Asia.

Looking at the table of contents of each volume, Volume 4, which has the fewest pages (632), consists of 11 chapters, while Volume 12, the thickest (1,088 pages), contains 20 chapters. Although the lengths are not uniform and there are some variations, each chapter generally maintains around 50 to 60 pages.

The figures presented in the book are divided into three classes based on their importance. For example, in Chapter 11 of Volume 1, titled From Tradition to Innovation: Chaos in the Late Later Han Dynasty and the Emergence of the Cunning Heroes, the main figure is ‘Cao Cao’, whose memoir forms the core of the chapter (Character A). The secondary figures include ‘Cao Pi’ and ‘Cao Zhi’ (Character B), while additional 12 figures, including ‘Zhuge Liang’, are categorized as other figures (Character C).

Although omitted from the briefly introduced table of contents, the preface at the beginning of each chapter explains why these figures are highlighted and what aspects of era and society they illuminate. This approach allows each chapter to form a cluster of figures that organically connects Characters A, B, and C. Additionally, there are instances with multiple main figures, multiple secondary figures, only one main figure is described, or contributions from multiple authors, depending on the characteristics of each era and society. This variability grants each chapter its own unique breath and freedom in the narrative.

The footnotes and references at the end of each chapter invite readers and researchers to explore the latest Asian research. This ‘cluster of figures’ serves as a microcosm, interconnected with other microcosms through reference relationships and other connections. In other words, it becomes a fundamental tool for understanding and embracing the diversity of various Asian societies.

The most crucial aspect at this stage is the criteria for selecting figures. Ten editorial board members, listed among the authors, were assigned to each regional committee of East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia. East Asia was further divided into three committees: China, the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese archipelago. Every editorial board member first identified the most important figures (Character A) and then added secondary figures (Character B) and other figures (Character C) from their respective regions to draft the ‘cluster of figures’, while also selecting candidates for writing.

This process was reviewed and revised repeatedly with the ten editorial board members, the chief director, the editorial advisor, and the editorial team. Once the composition of the cluster of figures covering the entire Asia was nearly complete, each regional committee held several meetings to reassess the selection of figures and the extent of their description, consulting with the actual writers in the process. The final confirmed cluster of figures then formed the framework for the table of contents.

This editing work itself was an unprecedented endeavor. As a result, a total of 178 writers contributed to the project, creating a vast archive of figures from the history of Asia. The total number of figures (Characters A, B, and C) reached approximately 3,000 and well over 10,000 when including those who were not listed in the entries but who played significant roles.

Furthermore, Great Figures in the History of Asia has aimed to be translated into each Asian country from the outset of the project. Prior to this, no publication of this scale in the field of humanities has been prepared for readers beyond the Japanese speaking world in mind before. To faithfully achieve this goal, contributions have been received from overseas specialists such as Son Ge, Tao Demin, Zhou Wanyao, Heo Seoul-Hui, Lim Kyung-Taek, and Cho Seong-Eun, as well as new researchers.

Based on the accumulation of modern positivistic research in Japan for the history of East Asia and the history of Asia over a century, a team of writers with the latest achievements in regional studies, archaeology, anthropology, and the history of thought was assembled for this project. This series can be said to significantly contribute to the synthesis and development of the history of Asia. For more information, please refer to the table of contents of each volume.