HISTORY 3EC3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Nihon Shoki, Kojiki, Fujiwara Clan
SeungJoon SUNG
East Asian Cultures (Chin)
TuTh 12:30-1:45pm
#16 Reading & Class Notes for Nov 15
Japan Background
Oral Tradition: Kami (spirits) created Japan (that’s why land is so active)
Izanagi & Izanami (husband & wife) created Japanese people Japanese are superior people
17% arable competition was high
People lived in clans (uji) less philosophy & more war than China
Amaterasu (sun god): Japanese emperors are divine (until WW2)
Asuka Era
552-710
Prince Shotoku
572-622 (Soga uji)
Declared there is only one ruler in Japan
Reached out to China (Confucianism, Buddhism, Kana (writing))
Kami (spirits/life), Confucianism (moral code), and Buddhism (death)
(before Shotoku, Buddhism had led to infighting due to a plague)
“Kami no Michi” Chinese called in Shen Tou Shinto
Fujiwara
Eventually, the Nakatomi uji overthrew the Soga uji took the name Fujiwara
Continued centralization
Cap Rank system adopted from China (Tang)
Taiko Reform (645): All land belongs to emperor, redistribution of land based on # of mouths to
feed, religion/aristocrats exempt from tax (drafted by Shotoku)
Census was supposed to redistribution every 10 years, but never really happened
Taiko Code (702): The two things not taken from Chinese codes were the CSE (only aristocrats
could take test) and Mandate of Heaven
After 6 generations, royals were expelled from the palace and became commoners
Nara Era
710-794
Established as a permanent capital
Buddhism flourished
Poetry
History (Nihongi + Kojiki written in fear that oral tradition would be lost to Chinese influence)
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Document Summary
#16 reading & class notes for nov 15. Oral tradition: kami (spirits) created japan (that"s why land is so active) Izanagi & izanami (husband & wife) created japanese people japanese are superior people. People lived in clans (uji) less philosophy & more war than china. Amaterasu (sun god): japanese emperors are divine (until ww2) Declared there is only one ruler in japan. Reached out to china (confucianism, buddhism, kana (writing)) Kami (spirits/life), confucianism (moral code), and buddhism (death) (before shotoku, buddhism had led to infighting due to a plague) Kami no michi chinese called in shen tou shinto. Eventually, the nakatomi uji overthrew the soga uji took the name fujiwara. Taiko reform (645): all land belongs to emperor, redistribution of land based on # of mouths to feed, religion/aristocrats exempt from tax (drafted by shotoku) Census was supposed to redistribution every 10 years, but never really happened.