Aristocratic Japan
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Aristocratic Japan The aristocratic age covers two historical eras: 710 Nara 795 Heian 1185 Highly developed government and culture Developed much later than China Traditionally regarded as Asia’s cultural center How did Japan get there? Prehistory: the Jōmon 縄文 era ca. 10,000 BCE~400 BCE Hunter-gatherer culture, including fishing Settled villages Simple social order Distinctive pottery Jōmon: “rope pattern” Jōmon era shell mounds A main source of archeological data Prehistory: the Yayoi 弥生 era ca. 400 BCE~200 CE Settled agriculture Rice agriculture becomes prominent More complex social order Distinctive pottery Note difference from Jōmon Protohistory: the Kofun 古墳 era ca. 200~500 CE Monumental burial mounds Wider political organization The ascendance of the Yamato clan Shōtoku Taishi 聖徳太子 573-621 Regarded as: Establisher of Japan’s first governmental system Promoter of Buddhism in Japan The Seventeen Article Constitution Confucian virtues The Nara 奈良 Era 710-795 Japan’s first settled capital Laid out on a Chinese plan Chinese governmental structure Rule by status National ministries Provincial governors All land under the authority of the state Nara 奈良 Era Culture First great flowering of Buddhism Buddhist institutions: established in the capital officially recognized functioned as protectors of the state Shōmu and the Great Buddha 15 m tall, 250 tons A political statement! Some geography Continental culture: SWNE Nara and Heian in central Japan The kinai region Kansai to the West Kantō to the East From Nara to Heian 平安 Capital established at the location of present day Kyoto by emperor Kammu Why move the capital? To escape Buddhism? For more space To secure a power base – Importance of family ties A time of flourishing culture At least for the aristocrats Heian aristocratic culture Highly refined culture Learning: the Chinese classics Etiquette Romance Gender distinctions Heian literature A high point in the history of Japanese literature Poetry as a tool for romance In writing: – men used Chinese – women Japanese the women are remembered Heian literature: two women Murasaki Shikibu The Tale of Genji ca. 1000 Sei Shonagon Ascerbic commentaries on court life Two masters of the pillowbook genre Heian court music court music: gagaku Used at official court functions Heian Chinese influences More a ritual than an entertainment function Two samples of gagaku music Togaku and Komagaku Heian religion Two new schools of Buddhism Shingon, founded by Kūkai – Attainment of Buddhahood in this life – Direct transmission from master to disciple Tendai, founded by Saichō – Central text: the Lotus Sutra – By 1000, an influential monastery on Mt. Hiei Both had state patronage Both promised state protection Pure Land thought arises out of Tendai Summary: Nara and Heian eras Stable government based on the Chinese model Culture flourishes Social relations Chinese learning Literature: prose and poetry Music: gagaku Buddhism develops a place in Japan The Nara schools and the Great Buddha Tendai (Saichō) and Shingon (Kūkai)
