Prince Shōtoku

The “Twelve Level Cap and Rank System” was Japan’s first rank system, established in 603 by Prince Shōtoku.
From highest to lowest, the ranks are as follows.

In the imperial court, it set up six categories—virtue, benevolence, propriety, sincerity, righteousness, and wisdom—each split into “greater” and “lesser,” creating 12 ranks in total.
To make rank visible at a glance, officials were given caps in 12 different colors.
In simple terms, it’s a system that divided “rank” into “twelve levels” based on the color of an official’s “cap.”
It’s said the system had two major aims: appointing talented people and strengthening diplomacy.
At the time, the court operated under the uji-kabane clan-and-title system, which made it difficult to define clear relationships between the court and officials. The cap ranks helped clarify hierarchy.
By granting rank to individuals rather than clans, it was a groundbreaking system that made it possible to promote capable people regardless of family background or status.
It also worked as an outward display to foreign envoys, signaling that Japan, too, had a properly organized system of official ranks.

After the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System brought more diverse talent into the court, a set of shared rules was needed to keep things organized.
So in 604, Prince Shōtoku established the “Seventeen-Article Constitution,” a set of moral principles aimed at officials and nobles. *Like the cap ranks, it also served to present a proper image to other countries.
The Seventeen-Article Constitution is considered Japan’s oldest written law, and it’s said to have influenced modern Japan as well.
Despite the name “constitution,” it isn’t a code of laws or penalties. Instead, it centers on guiding ideals and mindsets strongly shaped by Confucian and Buddhist thought.
In particular, the content of Articles 1 through 3 was seen as especially important.
In simple terms, they mean:

These teachings were compiled into 17 articles, emphasizing the rejection of arbitrary decision-making and the importance of debate.

Prince Shōtoku also pushed diplomacy forward, and sending envoys to the Sui dynasty was one of his major achievements.
These missions were delegations Japan sent to the Sui dynasty (in present-day China) to build relations. The main goals were:
1. Bring back the Sui’s advanced culture and institutions, the most developed in Asia at the time
2. Build an equal relationship with the Sui and counter the Korean kingdoms (Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo)
The first mission (600), the first in about 100 years, failed because of problems with conduct and was not taken seriously by the Sui.
Still, it did bring back some成果, and those ideas are thought to have influenced policies like the cap ranks and the Seventeen-Article Constitution.
In 607, once Japan’s outward “readiness” was in place, he sent Ono no Imoko and others as the second mission and delivered the following letter to Emperor Yang of Sui:
“From the Son of Heaven where the sun rises to the Son of Heaven where the sun sets.”
Emperor Yang reportedly flew into a rage, partly because Japan called itself a “Son of Heaven” on equal footing with Sui and because “where the sun sets” could be read as implying decline.
However, since the Sui were at war with Goguryeo and didn’t want to create another enemy, they treated the delegation politely and even sent an envoy, Pei Shiqing, back with them.
Japan thus succeeded in establishing official relations with the Sui—said to be exactly what Prince Shōtoku intended.

Buddhism is said to have arrived in Japan in the mid-6th century, when Shinto beliefs were more deeply rooted.
By 587, conflict erupted between the pro-Buddhist Soga clan and the pro-Shinto Mononobe clan, leading to the Incident of 587 (described below).
Prince Shōtoku, related by blood to the Soga, supported Buddhism and fought alongside them.
After the Soga won, Japan began moving toward a Buddhist state.
Prince Shōtoku became one of the central figures in the full-scale promotion of Buddhism.
Carrying on the will of his father, Emperor Yōmei, he founded Hōryū-ji in 607. It remains famous today as the world’s oldest surviving wooden architecture.
He was also involved in building many other temples to spread Buddhism, including Shitennō-ji and Kōryū-ji.
As noted above, Buddhist teachings and ideas strongly influenced the Seventeen-Article Constitution as well. It’s fair to say you can’t talk about Japanese Buddhism up to the present day without mentioning Prince Shōtoku.

The best-known story about Prince Shōtoku’s talent is that he could “listen to 10 people at the same time.”
It’s said that as an adult he could hear 10 people speaking at once and understand everything, though some versions say eight or even 36.
Because he’s also remembered as someone who listened to many viewpoints and had an excellent memory, many see the story as an embellished way to highlight his intelligence.
The truth remains unknown, but it still reflects the virtue and sharp mind people associated with him.

In recent years, some researchers have argued that Prince Shōtoku may not have been a real historical person.
The reasoning is that the many achievements attributed to him—such as the cap ranks, the Sui envoys, and the promotion of Buddhism—seem too large for a single individual.
Some also point out that the Seventeen-Article Constitution contains wording believed not to have existed at the time, suggesting he may not have been involved.
It’s also been suggested that “Prince Shōtoku” is a posthumous title, and that his name during his lifetime was likely Prince Umayado (Umayado no Ōji).
That’s why many modern textbooks refer to him as “Prince Umayado (Prince Shōtoku).”
Because there are no definitive primary sources tied to him, scholars remain divided and the truth is still unclear.

Prince Shōtoku is the person whose portrait appeared on Japanese banknotes the most times.
After first appearing on the 100-yen note in 1930, he was featured on the 1,000-yen, 5,000-yen, and 10,000-yen notes—appearing on currency a total of seven times through 1984.
Because the 10,000-yen note first issued in 1958 kept his portrait for 26 years, he was once widely recognized as “the face of high-denomination bills.”
His portrait is no longer used today, but the number of issues, the length of time, and the fact that he appeared across three denominations all speak to his iconic status.

Prince Shōtoku was born in 574 to his father, Prince Tachibana no Toyohi, and his mother, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito.
His father later became Emperor Yōmei. His mother was a daughter of Emperor Kinmei, and both parents’ maternal lines were daughters of Soga no Iname—meaning he had strong blood ties to the powerful Soga clan.
It’s said that even as a child he chanted “Namu Butsu, Namu Butsu,” showing his deep connection to Buddhism from an early age.
He was known by several names, but because his mother reportedly gave birth in front of a stable (umaya), he was called Prince Umayado.
When he was 13, his father ascended the throne as Emperor Yōmei. At the request of Soga no Umako, the court publicly recognized Buddhism and declared it would promote it.
This made the conflict between the Soga and the Mononobe—led by Mononobe no Moriya, a leading anti-Buddhist figure—impossible to ignore.
Then Emperor Yōmei died of smallpox after only about two years on the throne.
With both religious conflict and succession disputes intertwined, the Soga–Mononobe rivalry escalated further.

The Soga–Mononobe conflict grew into civil war, finally erupting into the Incident of 587.
The early stages favored the Mononobe, who held strong defensive positions, while the Soga attacked.
Seeing this, the 14-year-old Prince Shōtoku is said to have fashioned images of the Four Heavenly Kings and prayed for victory. As the tide turned, he advanced with Soga no Umako and others toward Mononobe no Moriya’s residence.
After fierce back-and-forth fighting, the turning point came with the death of Mononobe no Moriya, and the conflict ended in a Soga victory.
At the same time, Prince Shōtoku also suffered personal tragedy by losing relatives on his mother’s side.
With the Mononobe defeated and pushed out of the political center, the Soga seized full control within the court, and the influence of Soga no Umako and Prince Shōtoku grew even stronger.
With anti-Buddhist forces weakened, Buddhism began to spread in earnest.
Rule centered on the emperor and the Soga continued for about 60 years, until the Isshi Incident of 645—showing just how deeply the Incident of 587 shaped Japanese history.

In 592, an unprecedented事件 occurred: Emperor Sushun was assassinated.
Forced to choose a successor, Soga no Umako ultimately decided on a woman as the next ruler.
Thus Empress Suiko, Japan’s first female sovereign, came to the throne.
Because politics was typically carried out by men at the time, the 20-year-old Prince Shōtoku was appointed regent (a role assisting the emperor), and he formed the core leadership together with Soga no Umako and Empress Suiko.
Prince Shōtoku, who studied under the Goguryeo monk Eji, began by promoting the Three Treasures (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha).
This led to the later Sui missions, encouraged active acceptance of continental culture, and helped Buddhism spread further.
He is also credited with leaving commentaries on three sutras—The Lotus Sutra, the Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra, and the Vimalakīrti Sūtra—known as the Sangyō Gisho.
As Buddhism took root, he pursued benevolent governance grounded in Buddhist thought and worked to develop institutions such as the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System.
After his many achievements, he died in 622 at the age of 49—ironically from smallpox, the same disease that claimed his father.
After his death, his consort created the Tenjukoku Shūchō (embroidered tapestry of the Land of Heavenly Longevity).

Hōryū-ji, located in Ikaruga, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture, is a storied temple with more than 1,300 years of history.
It is the head temple of the Shōtoku sect and is also known as a temple founded by Prince Shōtoku.
Famous as the “world’s oldest surviving wooden architecture,” Hōryū-ji preserves historic structures, many of which are designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.
The numbers are stunning: 38 National Treasure listings totaling 150 items, and about 3,000 items including Important Cultural Properties.
Recognized worldwide, it was registered in 1993 as one of Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as “Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area”), together with Himeji Castle.

Founded in 593 by Prince Shōtoku, often called the “founder of Japanese Buddhism.”
In the Heian period, people’s respect grew into deep faith, and it remains a sacred center of Taishi worship to this day.
Because it is a temple founded by Prince Shōtoku, it established the Washū school as a new denomination in 1949 (Shōwa 24).
Its temple layout is known as the “Shitennō-ji-style garan layout,” widely recognized as one of Japan’s oldest architectural styles.
The straight north-south alignment—inner gate, five-story pagoda, main hall, and lecture hall—surrounded by cloisters is also seen in China and the Korean Peninsula, reflecting ancient Japan’s ties with the continent.