Transcript Nara and Heian

Nara and Heian
The Yamato
During the AD 500s, a clan called the
Yamato ruled Japan.
 Yamato chiefs claimed that they were
descended from a sun goddess. This gave
them the right to rule Japan as emperor.

Prince Shotoku
About AD 600, Prince Shotoku was a regent for
his aunt, the empress.
A regent is a person who rules a country for
someone who is unable to rule alone.
 He wanted to give Japan a strong, wellorganized government based on Confucian
ideas.
 He also worked to spread Buddhism.
From whom did he learn these ideas?
The Chinese!!!

The Nara Period (710-794)

In the early AD 700s, Japanese emperors
built the first permanent capital city called
Nara.
The Nara Period
Government officials were ranked into a
hierarchy.
Define hierarchy:
a system in which people are ranked one above
the other according to status or authority
 Positions were given to nobles from powerful
families.
How is this different from the way the Chinese
chose government officials?
China used the Civil Service Exam.

Todaiji
Buddhist teachings had reached Japan
from Korea in the AD 500s.
 Buddhism was most highly developed in
Nara.
 Nara artisans produced refined Buddhist
sculptures and built grand Buddhist
temples.
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In AD 770, a Buddhist
monk tried to seize
the throne, so the
emperor decided to
leave Nara for a new
capital.
Heian-kyo (Kyoto) (794-1180)
In AD 794, the
emperor of Japan
moved the capital
from Nara to Heiankyo.
 This city looked a lot
like a major Chinese
city.

The Heian Period= The Golden Age
of Arts
Emergence of Japan
AD 300s:
People of
Japan
organized in
clans, each
with a
different chief.
AD 600:
Prince
Shotoku
brought
Chinese ideas
to Japan
AD 500s: The
Yamato clan
ruled most of
Japan
AD 794-1180:
The Heian
Period-Golden
Age of Arts &
culture in
Japan
AD 710-794:
The Nara
PeriodBuddhism
became
powerful in
Japan

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Nobles and Common
People had little to do with
each other.
Nobles seldom left the city.
They loved beauty and
elegance.
Because of this love, the
court at Heian became a
great center of culture and
learning.
The Heian nobles had
magnificent
wardrobes with silk
robes and gold
jewelry.
 They loved elaborate
outfits.
 Women wore long
gowns made of 12
layers of colored silk
cleverly cut and
folded to show off
many layers at once.

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The most popular art forms of the period
were…
– Paintings
– Calligraphy
– Architecture
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The Tale of Genji: the world’s first novel.
– Describes the romances and adventures of a
Japanese prince.
– Written by Murasaki Shikibu, who was a lady-inwaiting in the royal court.

Poetry-followed a specific structure
– Waka and Haiku