Before the introduction of Western anatomy, there were three types of representation of the body in Japan: illustrations showing the entire network of the acupuncture channels, illustrations showing the organs, and illustrations showing swellings, which included various skin afflictions such as tumors, furuncles, and rashes.This paper seeks to explore the early transmission of illustrations related to the acupuncturechannels theory by determining what Chinese textbooks and illustrations were available to Japanese physicians, how they selected them and appropriated their content.