Nara Period

The Asuka Period, right before the Nara Period, was a time of transformation from a decentralized system dominated by powerful local clans to a centralized government controlled under the emperor.
Along with this shift, the “Taiho Ritsuryo,” modeled on Tang China’s system, was applied nationwide.
Under the Taiho Ritsuryo, the imperial court under the emperor gained direct control over people and land across Japan.
Then, in 710, with the move of the capital from Fujiwara-kyo, Japan’s first full-scale capital, to Heijo-kyo, the Nara Period began.

The shift to centralized rule had a major impact on farmers.
Under the “kouchi-koumin” system, fields that farmers had owned became the emperor’s land, and farmers were lent plots called “kubunden.”
They cultivated these fields and had to pay part of the harvest as taxes.
With little motivation to work land they didn’t truly own, fewer farmers cultivated kubunden over time.
As the population grew, kubunden also became scarce, and taxes stopped flowing to the emperor.
As a solution, the government issued the “Sanzei Isshin no Ho,” allowing farmers to own newly reclaimed land for up to three generations.
But the ownership period was too short for the effort required, and results fell short.
Next came the “Konden Einen Shizai Ho,” which granted permanent ownership of reclaimed land.
This encouraged more land reclamation, increased tax revenue, and is said to have helped restore the court’s finances.

Power struggles within the imperial court were intense. Incidents such as the “Nagaya no Okimi Incident” and the “Fujiwara no Hirotsugu Rebellion” broke out, and politics remained unstable.
Even so, the Fujiwara clan, which would later wield immense power in the Heian Period, steadily strengthened its influence.
Fujiwara no Fuhito, son of Nakatomi no Kamatari who played a key role in the Taika Reform, was valued by Emperor Jito (the 41st) for his deep legal knowledge and helped establish the Taiho Ritsuryo and the Yoro Ritsuryo.
He also contributed greatly to the move to Heijo-kyo.
Building on these achievements, Fuhito married his daughter to Emperor Monmu (the 42nd), becoming related to the imperial family.
Their descendant later became Emperor Shomu (the 45th), further boosting Fujiwara influence at court.

During Emperor Shomu’s reign, smallpox outbreaks and natural disasters made the nation unstable.
To stabilize Japan through Buddhism, he issued the “Edict to Establish Provincial Temples” and the “Edict to Create a Great Buddha,” aiming to protect the state through faith.
This led to the construction of kokubunji temples and Great Buddha statues across Japan.
The Great Buddha created under this edict became the prototype of the Rushana Buddha enshrined today at Todaiji in Nara.

The Fujiwara clan held strong power at court, but their influence weakened with the rise of the monk Dokyo, favored by Empress Koken (the 46th, later retired empress).
To drive Dokyo out of court, Fujiwara no Nakamaro launched an armed uprising.
The revolt, known as the “Emi no Oshikatsu Rebellion,” failed, and Nakamaro was killed.
However, Dokyo’s self-serving rule and his push to be installed as heir met strong resistance at court. Led by figures such as Fujiwara no Momokawa, Dokyo was blocked and eventually fell from power.
The Fujiwara regained influence, and under Emperor Konin (the 49th), court power struggles began to settle.
Then, under Emperor Kanmu, the capital was moved to create physical distance from powerful temples, marking the transition into the Heian Period.

Nara Period culture is known as Tenpyo culture, characterized by aristocratic elegance and strong Buddhist influence.
Its hallmarks are especially clear in temples and Buddhist art such as the Shosoin Repository at Todaiji, the statue of Ganjin (Jianzhen) at Toshodaiji, and the Ashura statue at Kofukuji.

In the Nara Period, currency began circulating nationwide.
Minted in 708, Wado Kaichin was the first coin to spread widely across Japan.
Earlier coins such as Fuhonsen existed, but they didn’t circulate much, and barter remained the basis of trade.

Two of Japan’s most famous early chronicles, the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, were completed in the Nara Period.
They are said to have compiled Japan’s history to make rule easier by presenting the emperor as descended from the gods.
Japan’s oldest poetry anthology, the Manyoshu, was also completed in this era.
Because it includes poems not only by aristocrats but also by ordinary people, it remains a valuable record of the emotions of those who lived at the time.

Dokyo is sometimes counted among Japan’s “three great villains.”
He was a monk favored by the female ruler, the retired empress Koken, and was appointed to the court’s top post, Daijo Daijin Zenshi, eventually rising to the title of Hoo, a religious rank considered above the emperor.
Unsatisfied, Dokyo had a connected monk deliver a “divine message” claiming, “If Dokyo becomes emperor, peace will follow,” and tried to take the throne.
But Koken suspected the oracle and asked another monk to seek a new message. The result: “The emperor must come from the imperial line, and Dokyo should be expelled at once.”
With this oracle, Dokyo never became emperor and was driven out of court by Fujiwara power.
This attempted grab for the throne through a false oracle is known as the “Usa Hachimangu Oracle Incident,” leaving Dokyo with an infamous legacy.

Even in modern Japan, some people get hooked on gambling and ruin themselves.
One theory says gambling like this goes back to the Nara Period.
Sugoroku (a board game) became popular as an indoor pastime.
People got obsessed, and it escalated into gambling, even wagering household property.
It may have gone too far, because bans were issued.
It’s a fascinating episode that makes you feel human nature hasn’t changed much over time.

Todaiji is the most famous temple established in the Nara Period.
Highlights include the Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall), one of the world’s largest wooden structures, the Hokke-do (Sangatsu-do), the oldest building at Todaiji, and the Nandaimon Gate, Japan’s largest temple gate.

Kofukuji began as Yamashina-dera, built in Yamashiro Province (Yamashina Suehara) as the private temple of Fujiwara no Kamatari.
With the move to Heijo-kyo in 710, it was relocated to Nara under a plan by Fujiwara no Fuhito and renamed “Kofukuji.”
In the Nara Period, it prospered as one of the “Four Great Temples,” serving as a major court prayer site.
With National Treasure buildings and Important Cultural Properties, it offers a rich collection of temple treasures and cultural heritage.

Oikeji is said to have begun when the monk Gyoki visited in the Nara Period and created a pond shaped like the character for “heart,” then built the main hall near the center of the four connected ponds and enshrined a Shaka Nyorai statue attributed to Gyoki.
One highlight is Horai Garden, a Zen temple garden. This dry landscape garden is said to have been designed in the early Edo Period by Kobori Enshu, a tea master also known for architecture and garden design.