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Ōmi Ōtsu Palace
The was an imperial palace built by Emperor Tenchi in Asuka period Japan in what is now the city of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It served as the capital of Japan for a five-year period from 667 to 672 AD. Also known as the , , it was most frequently referred to in ancient sources as the . It was at this location that the Ōmi Code and the family registry system were promulgated, which laid the foundations for the later ''ritsuryō'' state. It location was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1979, with the area under protection expanded in 2007 History In 660 AD, during the reign of Empress Saimei, the Korean kingdom of Baekje fell to an alliance of Silla and Tang China. Baekje was a close ally of ancient Japan, it was viewed as a bulwark against possible Silla or Tang expansion and Yamato's foothold in the mainland. Crown Prince Naka no Ōe, later to become Emperor Tenji, and Empress Saimei decided to dispatch an expeditionary force to restore the Baekje kingd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lake Biwa
is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th oldest lake in the world. Because of its proximity to the country's historical capital Kyoto, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles. Name The name ''Biwako'' was established in the Edo period. There are various theories about the origin of the name ''Biwako'', but it is generally believed to be so named because of the resemblance of its shape to that of a stringed instrument called the ''biwa''. Kōsō, a learned monk of Enryaku-ji in the 14th century, gave a clue to the origin of the name ''Biwako'' in his writing: "The lake is the Pure land of the goddess Benzaiten because she lives on Chikubu Island and the shape of the lake is similar to that of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Kanmu
, or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kammu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the scope of the emperor's powers reached its peak. His reign saw the transition from the Nara period to the Heian period. Traditional narrative Kammu's personal name ('' imina'') was .Brown, p. 277 He was the eldest son of Prince Shirakabe (later known as Emperor Kōnin), and was born prior to Shirakabe's ascension to the throne. According to the , Yamabe's mother, Yamato no Niigasa (later called Taka ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ōmi Kokuchō
The is an archaeological site with the ruins of a Nara to Heian period government administrative complex located in what is now the Ōe neighborhood of the city of Ōtsu, Shiga prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. Identified as the ruins of the ''kokufu'' (provincial capital) of Ōmi Province, the site has protected as a National Historic Site from 1973. Overview In the late Nara period, after the establishment of a centralized government under the ''Ritsuryō'' system, local rule over the provinces was standardized under a ''kokufu'' (provincial capital), and each province was divided into smaller administrative districts, known as (郡, gun, kōri), composed of 2–20 townships in 715 AD. The ''kokufu'' complex contained the official residence and offices of the '' kokushi'', the official sent from the central government as provincial governor, along with buildings housing offices concerned with general administration, farming, finance, police and military. In the periph ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heijō-kyō
was the Capital of Japan during most of the Nara period, from 710 to 740 and again from 745 to 784. The imperial palace is a listed UNESCO World Heritage together with other places in the city of Nara (cf. Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara). Empress Genmei ordered the Imperial capital moved from Fujiwara-kyō to Heijō-kyō in 708, and the move to Heijō-kyō was complete in 710. Heijō-kyō was modeled after Chang'an, the capital of Tang-dynasty China, although Heijō-kyō lacked walls. In the city, merchants and traders from China, Korea and India introduced various foreign cultures to Heijō-kyō through the Silk Road. As a result, Heijō-kyō flourished as Japan's first international and political capital, with a peak population of between 50,000 and 100,000. The overall form of the city was an irregular rectangle, and the area of the city was more than 25 km2. Architecture In the area of Heijō-kyō, there are ancient Buddhist temples, and some temples are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nara Period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kanmu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784, before moving to Heian-kyō, modern Kyoto, a decade later in 794. Japanese society during this period was predominantly agricultural and centered on village life. Most of the villagers followed Shintō, a religion based on the worship of natural and ancestral spirits named ''kami.'' The capital at Nara was modeled after Chang'an, the capital city of the Tang dynasty. In many other ways, the Japanese upper classes patterned themselves after the Chinese, including adopting the Chinese writing system, Chinese fashion, and a Chinese version of Buddhism. Literature Concentrated efforts by the imperial court to record its history produced the f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Tenmu
was the 40th Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. He ascended to the throne following the Jinshin War, during which his army defeated that of Emperor Kōbun. Tenmu reigned from 673 until his death in 686, amid Hakuhō period or the late Asuka period. During his reign, Tenmu implemented political and military reforms, consolidating imperial power and centralizing governance. His foreign policy favored the Korean kingdom of Silla while severing diplomatic relations with the Tang dynasty of China. He used religious structures to bolster the imperial authority, building several Buddhist temples including Yakushi-ji and monasteries as well as strengthening ties with the Ise Shrine. He was succeeded by his wife, Empress Jitō. Tenmu is the first monarch of Japan contemporaneously documented as us ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jinshin War
The was a war of succession that took place in the Yamato state near the end of Asuka period. It broke out in 672 following the death of Emperor Tenji. The name refers to the ''jinshin'' (Ch. ''renshen'' 壬申) or ninth year of the sexagenary cycle, corresponding to the Gregorian year 672. It was one of the largest conflicts in classical Japanese history. Tenji had originally designated his brother, Prince Ōama, as his successor, but later changed his mind in favor of his son, Prince Ōtomo. In the course of the violence that erupted as a result of factional rivalries, Ōtomo, having taken the throne as emperor, killed himself after reigning for less than a year. His uncle Ōama then succeeded to the throne as Emperor Tenmu. Tenmu was the first monarch of Japan contemporaneously documented as using the title '' Tennō'' (emperor). Background After the defeat of Baekje and their Yamato allies by Silla and Tang China in the Battle of Baekgang, Emperor Tenji, in defiance of o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Kōbun
was the 39th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 弘文天皇 (39)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Kōbun's reign lasted only a few months in 672. Traditional narrative Emperor Kōbun was named the 39th emperor by the Meiji government in 1870; and since the late 19th century, he is known by the posthumous name accorded to him by Meiji scholars. In his lifetime, he was known as Prince Ōtomo (大友皇子, ''Ōtomo no ōji''). He was the favorite son of Emperor Tenji; and he was also the first to have been accorded the title of '' Daijō-daijin.'' Now, Japanese Imperial Household Agency and minority of contemporary historians place the reign of Emperor Kōbun between the reigns of Emperor Tenji and Emperor Tenmu; but the ''Nihongi'', the ''Gukanshō'', the ''Jinnō Shōtōki'' and majority of contemporary historians do not recognize this reign. Prince Ōtom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Ōama
was the 40th Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. He ascended to the throne following the Jinshin War, during which his army defeated that of Emperor Kōbun. Tenmu reigned from 673 until his death in 686, amid Hakuhō period or the late Asuka period. During his reign, Tenmu implemented political and military reforms, consolidating imperial power and centralizing governance. His foreign policy favored the Korean kingdom of Silla while severing diplomatic relations with the Tang dynasty of China. He used religious structures to bolster the imperial authority, building several Buddhist temples including Yakushi-ji and monasteries as well as strengthening ties with the Ise Shrine. He was succeeded by his wife, Empress Jitō. Tenmu is the first monarch of Japan contemporaneously documented as using ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nihon Shoki
The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical record of ancient Japan. The was finished in 720 under the editorial supervision of Prince Toneri with the assistance of Ō no Yasumaro and presented to Empress Genshō. The book is also a reflection of Chinese influence on Japanese civilization. In Japan, the Sinicized court wanted written history that could be compared with the annals of the Chinese. The begins with the Japanese creation myth, explaining the origin of the world and the first seven generations of divine beings (starting with Kuninotokotachi), and goes on with a number of myths as does the , but continues its account through to events of the 8th century. It is believed to record accurately the latter reig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hokurikudō
is a Japanese geographical term. It means both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through the old Japanese geographical region.Nussbaum, "''Hokurikudō''" in Both were situated along the northwestern edge of Honshū. The name literally means 'North Land Way'. It also refers to a series of roads that connected the capitals (国府 ''kokufu'') of each of the provinces that made up the region. When the Gokishichidō system was initially established after the Taika reforms, it consisted of just two provinces: Wakasa and Koshi. During the reign of Emperor Temmu, Koshi was divided into three regions: Echizen, Etchū and Echigo and Sado Island was added as a fifth province. Later, Noto and Kaga were carved out of Echizen to form seven provinces in total. The Hokuriku subregion of Chūbu region constitutes Hokurikudō region today. See also * Comparison of past and present administrative divisions of Japan * Hokuriku subregion * Koshi Province Note ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
