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History
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During the fifth and sixth centuries a sophisticated culture evolved in the plains east of Osaka, an area known as
Yamato
. Close contact between Japan, Korea and China saw the introduction of Chinese script, technology and the Buddhist religion, as well as Chinese ideas on law and administration. Under these influences, the regent
Prince Shotoku
(574-622) established a strictly hierarchical system of government. However, he's probably best remembered as a devout Buddhist who founded numerous temples, amongst them the great
Horyu-ji
. Though Shotoku's successors continued the process of centralization, they were hampered by the practice of relocating the court after each emperor died. In 710 AD, therefore, it was decided to establish a permanent capital modelled on China's imperial city, Chang'an (today's Xi'an). The name chosen for this new city was
Heijo
, "Citadel of Peace", today known as
Nara
.
In fact Heijo lasted little more than seventy years, but it was a glorious period, which saw Japanese culture beginning to take shape. A frenzy of building and artistic creativity culminated in the unveiling of the great bronze Buddha in
Todai-ji
temple by
Emperor Shomu
in 752 AD. But beneath the surface things were starting to unravel. As the temples became increasingly powerful, so the monks began to dabble in politics, until one Dokyo seduced a former empress and tried to seize the throne in 769. In an attempt to escape such shenanigans, Emperor Kammu decided to move the court out of Nara in 784 and eventually founded Kyoto. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Japan,
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