History of Japan - terms (under construction)

Conrad Totman

Boot

the question of periodization

paradox of retroactive redescription

Yamatai

Koningin Himoko => fusie van versch kuni/uji

Autoriteit via shamanisme

Shirasu

Je moet een zekere kennis hebben om de staat te regeren. Koningin Himoko haar broer leidde de staat.

Magatama

ketting met juwelen => machtssymbool (suburu = samenhouden door een rekker)

Symbolische betekenis : de uji/ kuni geven zich over aan de koningin

Hulp van de Chinese staat Wei

Yayoi periode : Yamatai staat => Wei had zuid Korea in handen (Koguryo wou die terug // alliantie met Wu) > Wei alliantie met Japan om Zuid Korea te verdedigen

“Eerste” keizer

Sujin (Jinmu) => tempel heilige spiegel, imperiale familie geheime schatten, standbeeld Amaterasu : zonnegodin

Na Sujin

Expedities naar China, kuni veroveren,

Amanoshita

The One With the Divine Function to Keep the Realm Together > claiming to be as big as Chinese emperor : awareness 天下

Harare

Rites of Purification : get rid of the filth again => Wanneer je een transgressie hebt gedaan

Misogi

Jezelf in water begeven en alles wegspoelen

Mimana

Japanse kolonie op Koreaans schiereiland, geen historische feit, “kolonie” omdat het de Japanse veroveringsdrang van de 20e eeuw weergaf

opkomst van Soga-clan

monopolie op kracht in politiek

17 artikels constituties

een set van morale regels voor politieke administratieve officieren, een benadrukking dat de enige legitieme macht die van de officiele troon was

Taika hervormingen

eerste landbouwhervormingen Japan

herverdeling van land, huishoudregisters en tax op land

dit gebeurde na de val van de Shoga-clan : uji hadden eigen land, sommige regio’s olv directe imperiale hoofd

taika : grote hervorming

Kotaishi (regering van de kroonprins) / Jinshin onderbreking of oorlog

betekenis vd Jinshin onderbreking : nieuwe titels, wetten, steden werden door de opvolgers gebouwd → Yamato wordt het imperiale hofsysteem Nihon

jidai kubun

yayoi-cultuur

bronzen tijd, rijstcultuur, potten bakken

kuni

land

uji

mister of misses

nihon shoki en kojiki

secularisatie

emperor + kabane

koning met imperiale administratie

waza

taken dat uji moeten uitvoeren voor de keizer

rol van de keizer

relaties met de buitenlandse krachten behouden, interne competities → Japan zond tributen of boodschappers naar Zuid China

Shotoku

neef van grootste clanleiders : Umako en Iname

vervangt kabane systeem door 12 caps systeem

The Twelve Level Cap and Rank System (冠位十二階, Kan'i Jūnikai), established in 603, was the first of what would be several similar cap and rank systems established during the Asuka period of Japanese history.^[1] It was adapted from similar systems that were already in place in Sui dynasty China, Paekche and Koguryŏ. The officials wore silk caps that were decorated with gold and silver, and a feather that indicated the official's rank. The ranks in the twelve level cap and rank system consisted of the greater and the lesser of each of the six Confucian virtues: virtue (徳, toku), benevolence (仁, jin), propriety (禮, rei), sincerity (信, shin), justice (義, gi) and knowledge (智, chi).

The twelve cap system was replaced in 647.

kotaishi

Naka no Oe + Kotoku en opvolger Saimei en zijn opvolger Tenji

Tenji assigned his younger brother being in charge as a “brother
imperial” + eerste minister Otomo → vechten over macht

verschillende codes voor opvolgers

Tenji issued a legal code, the Ōmi ryō → kabane systeem, conservatief, toont zijn incompetentie tov Korea bv

Emperor Tenmu then issued a new code, the Tenmu ryō

emperor Monmu, issued the Taihō code (Taihō ritsuryō)

ritsuryo stijl begin 700 - Nara

Ritsuryō-style administration sought to cultivate popular
morality and to enable the people to become ideal Confucian citizens. Confucianistische elementen : kotei, naam vd keizer met Chinese leenwoord / hoofdstad Nara gebouwd zoals Changan

Confucius

Kongzi, Zhou dynastie, restauratie van de hierarchische en harmonieuze feodale sociale systeem, rechtvaardigheid door moraal, belangrijkste waarden : loyaliteit/ oprecht/ mild

Early 700s ritsuryo model

the victors in this process had established a stabilized, statute-based aristocratic political order headquartered in the Kinai basin an order known by historians as the ritsuryō seidō or “system of penal and civil codes”

Chinese-style centralized administrative system : institutional modifications that enhanced tribute extraction

introduction confucian system at the court

pragmatic considerations the rulers at the beginning of the Tang period had made efforts to increase the significance of the study of the Confucian canon, mainly in order to establish an educational standard for the whole country.

tenno en okimi

voorbeelden van taoistische invloed aan het Japans hof

Taihō code, 701 emperor Monmu

formally issued at Fujiwarakyō (briefly, before the move to Nara, from 694 to 710 the capital), was the first legal code in Japan, containing both. penal (ritsu), and administrative (ryō) law.

Yoro code

overblijvende wetboek

ritsu : veroordelen van het slechte + ryo : promoten van het goede

Together they meant to enlighten and civilize men,
guiding them toward the high ideals of Confucian morality.

kyaku, shiki

Individual amendments
minor regulations dealing with the implementation of
the codes

toki no gyōji

contemporary exceptions in practice

civil litigation (sōshō) and criminal suits (dangoku)

ritsu regularisatie

mensen geen misdrijf of moord zouden plegen, het generale publiek ontmoedigen van tegen de wet in te gaan

non, monk of hooggeplaatste officier konden fysieke straf vermijden, maar normaal was het voor iedereen hetzelfde, in sommige gevallen kon je je straf afbetalen

veel belang voor familiale relaties : straf als je oudere mensen pijn doet

ryo constituenten

twee hoofdbureaus : dajokan + jingikan en 8 ministeries (sho)

dajokan

centraal bureau

8 ministeries : verschillende velden van dagelijks leven

jingikan

verantwoordelijk voor shinto rituelen (religie gesplitst van politiek)

The Department of Worship: with the performance of the great religious ceremonies such as the rites of enthronement and national purification, and the festivals of the first-fruits and harvest thanksgiving, the upkeep of shrines, the discipline of shrine wardens, and the recording and observance of oracles and divi-
nations. It presided over the worship of the national divinities (and had nothing to do with Buddhism).

sadaijin

minister van links

udaijin

minister van rechts

twee manieren om officiele administratieve status te krijgen

a corresponding court rank, which one could acquire by passing the official examinations, or by receiving a so called “grace rank” on the basis of one’s father’s or grand father’s rank

kuni, kōri and sato

governed by three types of officials, kokushi
(1), gunji (2) and richō (3)

kuni

kokushi verantwoordelijk voor civiele orde en recht in hun respectievelijke kuni (zone), implement the ritsuryō policies of
moral enlightenment, surplus : rijst surplus verkrijgen → kokushi verder gestationeerd → officieren dat zich waarlijk in het bureau bevinden

gunji

lokale ondergeschikten beoefenden juridische en administratieve macht in gun, voor het hele leven

gun

sato , each of which consisted of 50 households. The headmen of a sato, the richō, were appointed from the honest and able-bodied peasants of a sato. A household, the lowest administrative unit, was containing a “head”, and “members”, and all were officially listed in the household registers mentioned.

taxatie en redistributie van het land

Few ordinary peasants owned land, and serviced instead as cultivators on land owned by big landlords.
The objective of the land redistribution was to remedy this evil and to allow common people to have a share of land, which assured them a minimum standard of living. After 6 years, they can keep until death.

3 types tax voor alle mensen in Nara periode

1. Rice Tax: rice tax , 3% of the harvest : actual burden was heavy because the rice had to be transported over long distances, often remaining in the gun (a local administrative unit) for local use. difficulties in transportation and increased the cost of the tax, which was then used to cover the expenses of the local government.

2. Corvée Labor Taxes: corvée labor taxes, able-bodied men in their prime : labor, goods or materials hat were forwarded to the capital to support the central government. The costs of transporting these goods, along with the physical labor, added another burden on the people.

3. Miscellaneous Tax: miscellaneous tax, 60 days of labor. kokushi (provincial governors), for private purposes, leading to exploitation. Individuals chose to abandon their homes and live as vagrants rather than endure the harshness of the taxation system.

   indiscriminate, meaning they were levied on all people regardless of their wealth, making it especially painful for the poor who could least afford such burdens.

Taihō-Code (AD 702) - Central Government Structure

Two Main Departments:

• Department of Worship (神祇官, Jingi-kan)

  • Responsible for religious ceremonies (e.g., enthronement, purification rites)

  • Maintains shrines and oversees shrine wardens

  • Focuses on Shintō practices, not Buddhism

• Department of State (太政官, Daijō-kan)

  • Overseen by the Chancellor (dajō daijin)

  • Organized into:

    • Minister of the Left (sadaijin): Senior Minister for administration

    • Minister of the Right (udaijin): Deputy to the Minister of the Left

    • 4 Great Councilors (dainagon) &

      3 Minor Councilors (shōnagon)

    • Controller of the Left (sadaiben) with:

      • Ministry of the Centre Office (nakatsukasa)

      • Ministry of Ceremonial Affairs (shikibushō)

      • Ministry of Civil Affairs (jibushō)

      • Ministry of People’s Affairs (minbushō)

    • Controller of the Right (udaiben) with:

      • Ministry of Military Affairs (hyōbushō)

      • Ministry of Justice (gyōbushō)

      • Ministry of the Treasury (ōkurashō)

      • Ministry of the Imperial Household (kunaishō

Buddha

one who has awakened to the truth, Gautama Siddharta, 446 bce, practiced ascetism, under bo tree, travelled India for 45 years, shared wisdom, Sakyamuni (The Sage from the Sakya clan)

Buddhism: practical wisdom that promises to reach ideal state of mind in accordance with ‘true eternal law’

principles of buddhism

1. Life as Suffering: Buddhism teaches that all life is characterized by suffering (dukkha).

2. Impermanence (anicca): Everything is transient and in constant change.

3. No Unchanging Self (anatta): There is no permanent, independent self.

4. Four Noble Truths: Suffering, the origin of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path to ending suffering.

5. Eightfold Path: Way to overcome suffering through ethical behavior, mental training, and wisdom.

6. Nirvana: State of enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of suffering.

7. Karma and Rebirth: Actions have consequences beyond the current life.

8. Ethics: Emphasis on compassion, moral behavior, and the Five Precepts.

9. Main Streams: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.

10. Spread: From India to Asia, with adaptations to local cultures.

Japanese buddhism

• 552 CE: Official introduction from Korea

• Nara Period: Buddhism becomes state religion

• Heian Period: Shingon and Tendai schools emerge

• Kamakura Period: Zen Buddhism spreads

• Tokugawa Period: Buddhist temples strictly regulated

• Meiji Era: Shintō promoted, Buddhist temples suppressed

Significant Figures

• Prince Shōtoku: First great Buddhist patron

• Emperor Shōmu: Promoted Buddhism as state religion

Modern Statistics

• 70,000+ temples

• 200,000+ priests

• 85% of population with Buddhist affiliation

Historical Developments

• Initial spread through Korean missions

• Adaptation of multiple Buddhist schools

• Periods of state support and suppression

• Integration into Japanese cultural and political life

Contemporary Significance

• Buddhist lay movements

• Political representation (Kōmeitō party)

• Continued cultural and spiritual importance

introductie van boeddhisme

Buddhism was officially introduced to Japan from Korea in 552 CE, according to the Nihon shoki. The Soga clan initially promoted Buddhism in Japan. However, Prince Shōtoku is traditionally considered the founder and first great patron of Buddhism in Japan Prince Shōtoku's contributions to Japanese Buddhism include:

1. Establishing important monasteries, such as Hōryūji

2. Promoting Buddhism through his constitution, which called for reverence of the "three treasures" (Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood)

3. Building numerous temples and monasteries, including Shitennoji

4. Writing commentaries on Buddhist sutras

During the Nara period, Emperor Shōmu promoted Buddhism as a state religion and ordered the construction of the Tōdaiji temple

The Heian period saw the introduction of Shingon and Tendai schools, while Zen Buddhism gained popularity during the Kamakura period, especially among the military class

The Tokugawa period brought strict regulation of Buddhism by the shogunate. After the Meiji renewal in 1868, Shintō was established as the state religion, leading to the disestablishment of many Buddhist temple

In modern Japan, Buddhism remains a significant religious and cultural force, with over 70,000 temples, 200,000 priests, and approximately 85% of the population professing some Buddhist faith.