Prince Shōtoku

The Twelve Level Cap and Rank System, established by Prince Shōtoku in 603, was Japan’s first system of official court ranks.
The ranks under this system, listed from highest to lowest, were as follows.

The imperial court established six categories—Virtue, Benevolence, Propriety, Sincerity, Righteousness, and Wisdom—each divided into greater and lesser levels to create 12 ranks.
Officials were also given caps in 12 different colors so that their positions could be identified at a glance.
In simple terms, the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System divided official positions into 12 levels distinguished by the color of each official’s cap.
The system is said to have been established for two main reasons: to appoint talented people and to serve diplomatic purposes.
At the time, the imperial court followed the uji-kabane system, which organized society primarily around blood relationships. This made it difficult to establish direct relationships between the court and its officials, so court ranks were used to clearly define the hierarchy.
By granting ranks to individuals rather than entire clans, this innovative system made it possible to appoint talented people regardless of family background or social status.
It also demonstrated to foreign envoys that Japan had a properly organized system of official ranks.

As the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System brought a wider variety of people into the imperial court, rules were needed to organize them.
In 604, Prince Shōtoku therefore established the Seventeen-Article Constitution, which set out moral principles for officials and aristocrats. It was also intended, like the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System, to demonstrate Japan’s organization to foreign countries.
The Seventeen-Article Constitution is Japan’s oldest written code of law and is said to have influenced modern Japan.
Despite being called a constitution, it mainly presents principles and guidelines strongly influenced by Confucian and Buddhist thought rather than actual laws and regulations.
The first three articles were considered particularly important.
In simple terms, they convey the following ideas.

These teachings were compiled into 17 articles, emphasizing the importance of discussion and avoiding unilateral decisions.

Prince Shōtoku also actively promoted diplomacy, and sending missions to the Sui dynasty was one of his major achievements.
These missions were delegations sent by Japan to establish relations with the Sui dynasty in present-day China. Their two main objectives were:
1. To adopt the culture and institutions of the Sui dynasty, then the most advanced state in Asia
2. To establish an equal relationship with the Sui dynasty and counter the Korean kingdoms of Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo
Japan’s first diplomatic mission in approximately 100 years was sent to the Sui dynasty in 600. However, problems with the delegation’s conduct led the Sui court to dismiss it, and the mission ended in failure.
Nevertheless, the delegation brought back some useful knowledge related to the first objective, which was reflected in the establishment of the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System and the Seventeen-Article Constitution described above.
By 607, Japan had established the formal institutions needed for diplomacy and sent Ono no Imoko and others as its second mission to the Sui dynasty. They delivered the following official letter to Emperor Yang of Sui.
“The Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises sends this letter to the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets.”
Emperor Yang was furious at the letter, partly because Japan referred to its ruler as a “Son of Heaven,” placing him on the same level as the Sui emperor, and because he interpreted “where the sun sets” as implying decline.
However, as the Sui dynasty was at war with Goguryeo and did not wish to create another enemy, it treated the delegation courteously and sent the envoy Pei Shiqing back with them.
Japan thus succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with the Sui dynasty, reportedly just as Prince Shōtoku had intended.

Buddhism is said to have arrived in Japan in the mid-sixth century, when Shinto was more firmly established.
In 587, conflict arose between the Buddhist-supporting Soga clan and the Shinto-supporting Mononobe clan, leading to the Teibi Rebellion described below.
Prince Shōtoku, who was related by blood to the Soga clan, supported Buddhism and fought alongside them.
The Soga clan’s victory in this civil conflict set Japan on the path toward becoming a Buddhist nation.
Prince Shōtoku was one of the central figures who promoted Buddhism on a large scale.
Hōryūji Temple, which he founded in 607 to fulfill the wishes of his father, Emperor Yōmei, continues to preserve this history as the world’s oldest surviving wooden architecture.
He was also involved in constructing many other temples to spread Buddhism, including Shitennoji Temple and Kōryūji Temple.
As described above, Buddhist teachings and ideas were also strongly reflected in the Seventeen-Article Constitution. It would be difficult to discuss the history of Japanese Buddhism without considering Prince Shōtoku’s role.

The most famous story illustrating Prince Shōtoku’s abilities claims that he listened to 10 people speaking at the same time.
It is said that as an adult, he could listen to 10 people simultaneously and understand everything they said, although other versions give the number as eight or 36.
Prince Shōtoku was said to have listened carefully to many different opinions and to have possessed an excellent memory and keen intellect. Many therefore believe that the story was an exaggerated version of his actual abilities.
The truth remains unknown, but the story nonetheless reflects Prince Shōtoku’s character and intelligence.

Some recent research has advanced the theory that Prince Shōtoku did not exist as traditionally described.
One reason is that the many achievements attributed to him, including establishing the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System, sending missions to the Sui dynasty, and promoting Buddhism, seem too extensive to have been accomplished by a single person.
The Seventeen-Article Constitution also contains words that are believed not to have existed at the time, suggesting that Prince Shōtoku may not have been involved in its creation.
Furthermore, research indicates that “Prince Shōtoku” was likely a posthumous title and that he was known during his lifetime as Prince Umayado.
For this reason, recent textbooks commonly introduce him as “Prince Umayado (Prince Shōtoku).”
Because no definitive historical sources concerning Prince Shōtoku survive, scholars remain divided and the truth has yet to be established.

Prince Shōtoku has appeared on more Japanese banknotes than any other person.
After first appearing on the 100-yen note in 1930, his portrait was used on 1,000-yen, 5,000-yen, and 10,000-yen notes, appearing on banknotes a total of seven times through 1984.
His portrait remained on the 10,000-yen note, first issued in 1958, for 26 years. As a result, he was once widely recognized as the face of Japan’s high-denomination banknotes.
Although his portrait is no longer used, no one else has appeared on three different denominations for so many issues or for such a long period, reflecting the importance placed on his legacy.

Prince Shōtoku was born in 574 to Prince Tachibana no Toyohi and Princess Anahobe no Hashihito.
His father later became Emperor Yōmei, while his mother was a daughter of Emperor Kinmei. As both of his maternal grandmothers were daughters of Soga no Iname, he had strong blood ties to the Soga clan.
Prince Shōtoku is said to have recited “Namu Butsu, Namu Butsu,” an invocation expressing devotion to the Buddha, from childhood, suggesting his deep connection with Buddhism.
Although he was known by various names, he was called Prince Umayado, meaning “Prince of the Stable Door,” because Princess Anahobe no Hashihito was said to have given birth to him in front of a stable.
When Prince Shōtoku was 13, his father ascended the throne as Emperor Yōmei. At the request of Soga no Umako, the emperor officially recognized Buddhism at court and announced his support for its promotion.
This brought the conflict between the Soga clan and the Mononobe clan, led by the prominent anti-Buddhist Mononobe no Moriya, into the open.
Emperor Yōmei then died of smallpox after a reign of only around two years.
With both the dispute over Buddhism and the question of imperial succession involved, the conflict between the Soga and Mononobe clans intensified.

The conflict between the Soga and Mononobe clans developed into a civil war known as the Teibi Rebellion.
The Soga clan attacked while the Mononobe clan defended its position, and the heavily fortified Mononobe forces held the advantage in the early stages.
Seeing this, the 14-year-old Prince Shōtoku carved images of the Four Heavenly Kings on the spot and prayed for victory. After the Soga forces recovered from their difficulties, he advanced with Soga no Umako and others toward Mononobe no Moriya’s residence.
After fierce fighting in which neither side could gain a decisive advantage, the tide turned when the commander Mononobe no Moriya was killed, bringing the battle to an end with a Soga victory.
However, Prince Shōtoku also suffered the painful loss of relatives on his mother’s side during the rebellion.
The defeat brought down the Mononobe clan and removed it from the political center. The Soga clan gained complete control of power within the imperial court, increasing the influence of Soga no Umako and Prince Shōtoku.
With the anti-Buddhist faction also losing its power, Buddhism began spreading in earnest.
Rule by the emperor and the Soga clan continued for approximately 60 years, until the Isshi Incident of 645. The Teibi Rebellion can therefore be said to have had an immeasurable impact on Japanese history.

In 592, Emperor Sushun was assassinated in an unprecedented incident.
Suddenly faced with the question of succession, Soga no Umako struggled with the decision before choosing a woman as the next sovereign.
This led to the accession of Empress Suiko, Japan’s first reigning empress.
Because politics was customarily conducted by men at the time, the 20-year-old Prince Shōtoku was appointed regent to assist the empress. Together, Prince Shōtoku, Soga no Umako, and Empress Suiko formed the core of the government.
Prince Shōtoku had studied under the Goguryeo monk Eji. After becoming regent, his first undertaking was to promote the Three Treasures: the Buddha, the Buddhist teachings, and the monastic community.
This also led to the missions to the Sui dynasty described above, encouraging the active adoption of continental culture and the spread of Buddhism.
Prince Shōtoku left behind the Sangyō Gisho, commentaries on three Buddhist sutras: the Lotus Sutra, the Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sutra, and the Vimalakīrti Sutra.
As Buddhism spread further, he pursued a system of benevolent government based on Buddhist thought and worked to establish various institutions, including the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System.
After leaving behind numerous achievements, Prince Shōtoku died in 622 at the young age of 49, reportedly from the same disease as his father: smallpox.
After his death, his consort commissioned the Tenjukoku Shūchō tapestry.

Hōryūji Temple, located in Ikaruga, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture, is a distinguished temple with more than 1,300 years of history.
It is the head temple of the Shōtoku-shū school of Buddhism and is also known as a temple founded by Prince Shōtoku.
Famous for containing the world’s oldest surviving wooden architecture, Hōryūji retains many historic structures, a large number of which are designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.
Its collection includes 38 groups comprising 150 National Treasures and approximately 3,000 items when Important Cultural Properties are included.
Its value has also been recognized internationally. In 1993, the Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryūji Area and Himeji Castle became Japan’s first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites.

Prince Shōtoku, regarded as the founder of Japanese Buddhism, established this temple in 593.
During the Heian period, people’s reverence for him developed into religious devotion, and the temple continues to attract many worshippers as a sacred center of the Prince Shōtoku faith.
Because it was founded by Prince Shōtoku, it established the new Washū Buddhist sect in 1949.
The arrangement of buildings within the temple grounds is known as the Shitennoji-style temple layout and is widely recognized as one of Japan’s oldest architectural styles.
The Central Gate, five-story pagoda, Main Hall, and Lecture Hall are arranged in a straight line from south to north and surrounded by a covered corridor. Similar layouts can be found in China and on the Korean Peninsula, demonstrating ancient Japan’s connections with the Asian continent.