Nara period
Japan, 710 CE–794 CE.
Japan's first permanent capital, Heijo-kyo (Nara), was laid out on the model of China's Tang capital. Emperors ruled through Chinese-style law codes and promoted Buddhism as a state religion.
Seat of power: Heijo-kyo (Nara)
Rulers
Emperor Shomu
Emperor, 724 CE–749 CE
Ruled through the ritsuryo law codes and a court bureaucracy. Facing epidemics and rebellion, he ordered state temples in every province and the giant bronze Buddha at Todai-ji to protect the country.
Portrait of Emperor Shomu: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Culture
- The Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720), Japan's oldest chronicles, are compiled.
- The Great Buddha of Todai-ji is consecrated in 752.
- The Man'yoshu gathers about 4,500 poems.
Picture
The Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji in Nara.
Image: Wiiii, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
