May 2023

For the samurai class, supporting artists became one way to gain cultural and social prestige. This support served to bridge the gap between the samurai class and the court nobility centered around the emperor in the capital. Among those whom the Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimitsu protected, the most significant artists were Zeami and his father Kan’ami, who were not only actors who performed on stage themselves but also outstanding playwrights. They combined acrobatics, circus acts, magic, slapstick imitation, and so on,…

In 538 AD, Buddhism was introduced to Japan. Prince Shotoku promoted Buddhism as a political directive. This was because sharing a single teaching could contribute to the formation of the concept of a “nation”. At that time, Buddhism was meant to protect the country, that is, to shield against rampant diseases that humans could not handle and natural disasters. And that Buddhism was also something of the privileged class. First, only the emperor and the ruling class could pray for…

Japanese and Chinese are languages that differ entirely in terms of grammar and pronunciation. Originally, Japan did not possess its own writing system. Legends were transmitted orally through generations by individuals called “storytellers.” As Japan began to engage with the Chinese mainland, it imported the Chinese script. The Japanese language remained the same, but Chinese characters (kanji) were used with multiple readings, including on’yomi (Chinese-derived readings) and kun’yomi (native Japanese readings). Moreover, the kanji characters were simplified and transformed into…

In 646, the Japanese Imperial Court declared all land as state-owned and conducted a population census. Adult citizens were given land, but were obligated to pay taxes on it. The legal system was also reformed, following the example of the Tang Dynasty in China. This resulted in imperial bureaucrats being selected to govern the country, and powerful aristocrats gradually became government officials. These reforms strengthened the centralized control of the emperor. Although the idea of giving land equally to all…

During the time of Taira no Masakado, Japan was a centralized state system ruled by the emperor, with local regions being governed and taxed by officials sent from the capital. The ruling class never left the capital and had no understanding of the corruption and heavy taxation imposed by local officials. Taira no Masakado initially followed the emperor’s officials, but in 929, when the Khitan leader Yelü Abaoji established himself as emperor and sent an envoy to Japan In 939,…

Kawashima Yoshiko was the 14th daughter of Prince Su, an eminent member of the Qing Dynasty who was one of the “Iron Hat Princes,” a title given to the eight most distinguished Manchu princes who had contributed to the founding of the dynasty. The first Prince Su was the eldest son of Emperor Hong Taiji and his primary consort, Empress Ulanara. Prince Su Zhong, the 10th Prince Su, played a role in protecting Japanese residents during the Boxer Rebellion in…

The ideal of a central government centered around the emperor that would govern the land and its people began in the 7th century, but by the end of the 12th century, it had largely disappeared. Internal conflicts within the imperial family and among the aristocracy led to nobles being expelled from the court and settling in various regions, gradually accumulating independent power from the central government. At the same time, they wanted to have influence in the capital and eventually…

The Emperor was the highest authority in the center of aristocratic society and traditional culture, but he granted wide-ranging powers to the samurai Yoritomo to govern the country. This led to Yoritomo becoming known as the shogun when he established the Kamakura shogunate in 1192. Before becoming shogun, Yoritomo eliminated anyone who might compete with him for power, including his own half-brother. He ordered the pregnant wife of his brother, Shizu, who he had captured, to dance at a shrine…