Harmony is top priority- Prince Shotoku and his time(1)

 According to the Chronicles of Japan (Nihon Shoki), Prince Shotoku passed away on the 22nd day of the second month of the lunisolar calendar. This date roughly corresponds to March in the Gregorian calendar. 

Annual memorial services for the Prince are held on March 22nd at the Horyu-ji Temple(法隆寺) and on April 22nd at the Shitenno-ji Temple(四天王寺). The service is known as O-e-shiki(御会式) at the Horyu-ji and Shoryo-e(聖霊会) at the Shitenno-ji. Both temples were founded by the Prince. While Horyu-ji holds the service annually, it conducts a special large-scale ceremony every ten years on April 22nd.

Prince Shotoku was born in 574.

Among Japanese temples, Horyu-ji is my favorite.

Every Sunday, NHK broadcasts a year-long historical drama series (known as the Taiga drama). A few years ago, a survey revealed that Prince Shotoku was the figure people most wanted to see featured in the lead role. He consistently ranks near the top of any poll regarding Japan’s favorite historical icons. Despite his popularity, much of his life remains shrouded in mystery, with some scholars even questioning his historical existence.

Buddhism vs. Shinto

Shinto is an indigenous religion centered on nature worship, while Buddhism was introduced to Japan from the Korean Peninsula in the 6th century. Following the death of Emperor Yomei, Prince Shotoku's father, in 587, the power struggle between the adherents of Shinto and Buddhism escalated into armed conflict.

At the time, the Soga clan—led by Soga no Umako—was gaining significant influence through its connections with immigrants from the Korean Peninsula, who brought advanced technology and Buddhist scriptures to Japan. Prince Shotoku strengthened this alliance by marrying Umako's daughter, joining the pro-Buddhist faction.

The conflict concluded with a victory for the Buddhist side. Although Emperor Sushun ascended as the 32nd Emperor, he soon clashed with Umako, who held the actual political power. This confrontation ultimately led to the Emperor's assassination.

Regent for Empress Suiko

According to the Nihon Shoki, the 19-year-old Prince Shotoku was appointed as Regent for Empress Suiko in 593.

Empress Suiko was the first officially recognized reigning empress of Japan. While the formal title of "Regent" (Sessho) did not technically exist in its later legal form at that time, he acted as a key figure in the administration. Although the Prince had a legitimate claim to the throne, his path to becoming Emperor was blocked. Soga no Umako sought a puppet ruler to maintain his own influence, while Empress Suiko remained firmly committed to passing the throne to her own biological son.

Imperial Rescript on the Promotion of Buddhism

According to the Nihon Shoki, an Imperial Rescript on the Promotion of Buddhism was issued in 594.

Prince Shotoku played a pivotal role in ensuring that Buddhism took root in Japan. In 593, he founded the Shitenno-ji emple in Osaka.  It is said that he invited three specialized carpenters including Kongo Shigemitsu from Baekje (an ancient kingdom in southwest Korea) to construct the temple in 578, but Prince Shotoku was born in 574.

Shigemitsu went on to found Kongo Gumi, the construction company responsible for building the Shitenno-ji in 593 and the Horyu-ji Temple in Nara in 607. Remarkably, Kongo Gumi remains in operation in Osaka today, holding the title of the world's oldest continuously operating company.

The Changing International Landscape

In 589, the Sui Dynasty reunified China, ending a period of over a century during which Japan had no formal diplomatic ties with the mainland. On the Korean Peninsula, the three kingdoms of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje were locked in a fierce struggle for supremacy. When Sui demanded tribute from Goguryeo, the latter resisted, leading to a tense and hostile relationship between the two nations.

Seeking to counterbalance Sui’s influence, Goguryeo sought closer ties with Japan. Through the Soga clan, the Japanese Imperial Court requested that Goguryeo send high-ranking Buddhist priests. In 595, these priests arrived, with one serving as a tutor and foreign policy adviser to Prince Shotoku. From him, the Prince learned of Sui’s advanced administrative systems—based on centralized law and bureaucracy—and the flourishing Buddhist art in its capital.

In 596, the Hoko-ji Temple (now known as Asuka-dera) was completed. The Imperial Court welcomed skilled artisans, including architects and carvers from Baekje, to aid in its construction. At that time, it is estimated that one-third of the population associated with the Imperial Court consisted of immigrants or their descendants.

The First Mission to the Sui Dynasty

In 600, the Japanese Imperial Court dispatched its first mission to the Sui Dynasty. At the time, China was a state governed by rule of law. Its founder, Emperor Wen, had revolutionized the administration by appointing officials based on merit rather than hereditary rank, utilizing the imperial examination system (Keju).

While Buddhism was a universal religion with structured doctrines, Shinto was—and remains—an indigenous Japanese faith without a specific founder or formal dogma. Consequently, the Sui Dynasty initially hesitated to recognize Japan as a civilized "nation," viewing its lack of a legal political system and its unfamiliar religious practices with skepticism. This diplomatic snub catalyzed Japanese leaders, including Prince Shotoku, to urgently modernize their national institutions.

The Twelve Level Cap and Rank System (冠位十二階, Kan-i Junikai)

According to the Nihon Shoki, the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System (Kan-i Junikai) was established in 603.

Modeled after the courtly rank systems of the Korean Peninsula, this new hierarchy used the color of a bureaucrat’s cap to signify their specific rank. This was a revolutionary step toward meritocracy, as it allowed individuals to be promoted based on their talent and loyalty rather than their hereditary lineage.

However, the system had its limitations. It was primarily applied to middle- and lower-level officials, while the top tier of the aristocracy remained dominated by powerful hereditary clans. In many ways, the system also served as a diplomatic gesture to demonstrate to the Sui Dynasty that Japan had modernized its administrative structure.