Japan gets its first encounter with formal government. The first Constitution is issued and Prince Shotoku becomes an important political
figure of his time.
Yamato/Kofun(300AD-710AD)
The Kofun/Yamatos soon took over the Yayoi with their advanced technology. It is uncertain as to how exactly the Kofun took over the Yayoi culture, but it is known that there was a definite culture change by 250 AD; the culture now very much resembled the cultures of Korea and China.
Japanese culture migrates from Kyushu to what is now present-day Nara. The Yamato clan of Southern Honshu takes power and the first recorded state, the Yamato court is produced. The Yamatos established a capital at modern-day Osaka. It was during the Yamato reign when the position of "emperor" was introduced. In the 5th century, the Yamato leaders became the first emperors, claiming to have been descended from the sun goddess. They conquered many neighboring tribes and even ruled part of Korea. However, Korea was still friendly to Japan and shared its art with Japan. In 391 AD Japanese cross to Korea, defeat Paekche and Silla armies and establish a small colony (called Mimana) on the southern tip of the
peninsula. To thank the Japanese for helping save his territory from the Silla, the king of Paekche sends scholars to Japan. These scholars introduced the Japanese to the Chinese writing system and the religions Buddhism and Confucianism.
Suiko and Regent
In 592 AD, a Soga empress named Suiko (592AD-628AD), ascended to the throne. However, she was merely a political puppet as the real power rested in the hands of her nephew, Prince Shotoku (Shotoku Taishi), a regent. There were a number of huge problems that Shotoku had been thrown into. The alliance between Paekche and Japan had disintegrated and there was a mad dash for power as influential and important other families wanted to
overthrow the Yamatos.
Shotoku transformed Japan by modeling his government after China. He favored promoting and selecting people for office based on merit rather than lineage in use for over a thousand years. Shotoku also issued Japan's first constitution, the 'Seventeen Article Constitution.' In addition to being the first piece of Japanese writing, the
constitution also set precedents by giving supreme power to the emperor and explaining the roles of the subjects of his kingdom based on Confucian ethics with some Buddhist influence, notably the second article.
In 607 AD, 608 AD and 614 AD, Shotoku dispatched large diplomatic missions to China. The missions were costly but perhaps the cost was made up for with the Chinese imports, information and scholars that were brought back. Also, the official letter sent with the first missions trip was the first time that Japan addresses itself as the
"Land of the Rising Sun."
Religion
Buddhism was declared the official religion of Japan iin 552AD. Shotoku adopted some other Chinese cultural imports such as the Chinese calendar. He also built many Buddhist temples, including Horyuji, Japan's oldest surviving temple.
The Yamatos made spectacular tombs where the kings and high officials could show off their wealth. Kofunmeans "old tomb" and this culture was known as
the" tomb" people because of the massive keyhole-shaped tombs (unique only to this mound-building culture) that they built. The Yayoi also placed valuables such as mirrors, jewels, armor and weapons.
Also placed in the tombs were clay statues called haniwa which would later become symbols of Japanese imperial authority. The Mound of Nintoku is longer than five football fields and has a volume greater than some great pyramids. In 57 AD, Japan got its first historical references from ancient Chinese history texts. The Chinese referred to Japan as the "Wa" and described it as being basically an uncivilized place with many tribes and no central government.
The End
Shotoku died in 629 and the Soga family took over the declining Yamato empire. The Soga were overthrown in 645 AD and the new emperor, Kotoki Tenji (645-655)took over. Tenji started his own reform movement, with help from Nakatomi no Kamatari (614-669), which would later lead to the Taika Reform Edicts.
The Taika Reforms (645 AD)
The Taika Reform Edict (Taika means 'great change') of 646 established a central government and founded the Japanese imperial system all based on Confucian ethics. Where previously had existed a system of separate clans became administrative provinces and the land was divided into simple geometric shapes (squares
and rectangles.) This method, based on China's capital, had a system of equalitarian
farming, made the land easier to farm and control. Transportation improved due to the building of roads. Japan's ruler was raised to the status of emperor with divine authority from Heaven and absolute power. Former clan leaders or heads of prominent families were appointed as governors and court officials but were forced by the Reform Edicts to be morally competent. A tax system, legal system and census were also set up by the Taika Reforms. For the tax system though, at this time Japan was still going through a bartering system since coining Japanese money hadn't been very successful. Many poor farmers had to desert their land because of the high taxes and the land was reclaimed by wealthy aristocrats and monasteries thus making them even more powerful than before and widening the gap between the rich and the poor.