Prince Shotoku was a key figure in early Japanese history, creating a united government and adopting Chinese cultural advances. He wrote a constitution, introduced Buddhism, and established an embassy in China. He is credited with improving Japan, although legends surrounding his life may be fictional.
Prince Shotoku is regarded as a highly influential figure in early Japanese history. He is most famous for creating a strong united government in Japan and for reaching out to other civilizations, especially China, in order to improve Japanese governance and take advantage of many of China’s cultural advances. The prince was the real leader of Japan from 593 to 622 AD, although his position was that of regent, appointed by his aunt and China’s first empress, Empress Suiko.
Chinese culture made an early and positive impression on Prince Shotoku, and he sent scholars to China to study Chinese society and its government. He also opened the doors of Japan to China’s skilled workers by inviting many to work in Japan. This led to many improvements to Japan’s building techniques and an intense interest in Chinese arts.
Several aspects of Chinese culture greatly influenced the prince. He was particularly interested in the laws of the land, based on Confucian principles. This inspired him to write a constitution, called the Seventeen Articles Constitution, for Japan. It emphasizes the absolute authority of the emperor, but also the strong morality and virtue that must be exhibited by the rulers. Additional guidelines include deciding matters of law impartially, valuing harmony, the need for vassals to be treated faithfully and fairly, and relying on Buddhism as the highest quality of good leadership.
Prince Shotoku is often credited with introducing not only Confucian but also Buddhist principles to Japan. Alongside Shinto, Buddhism became a regular practice in the country. Although many different forms of Buddhism coexisted with Shinto in the beginning, eventually the practice of Zen Buddhism better integrated Shinto ideals with the principles of the Buddha and became the pre-eminent religion in Japan.
It is possible that Prince Shotoku also called Japan the land of the rising sun, or Nihon, now usually Nippon. a letter to the Chinese emperor Yangdi is preserved, which reads: “The emperor of the land where the sun rises sends a letter to the emperor of the land where the sun sets. How are you?”
Another first for the prince was the establishment of a Japanese embassy in China, which allowed for harmony between the countries; unfortunately, this was not to last. However, China’s influence on Japan cannot fail to be felt. In early history, ideas about religion, government, the arts, and agriculture migrated from China to Japan. Shotoku oversaw and encouraged this migration and is credited with enlightening and improving Japan. It cannot be said that the Japanese have not developed their own cultural ways and means, and have often improved on Chinese inventions. For example, they took woodblock printing developed by the Chinese and invented movable type.
The prince is a much loved figure today, and at various times, his images have graced different denominations of banknotes. There are many names he is known by in Japan; in fact, he probably wasn’t called Prince Shotoku in his lifetime. A colorful name is the “prince of the stable door”, inspired because his mother gave birth to him in front of a stable. Some scholars suggest that he was not, in fact, a real person; evidence indicates that he probably existed, although many of the legends surrounding his life are probably fictional.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
