1

The Nara period saw the consolidation of Yamato power. Discuss the
way that continental influences such as Confucianism, Buddhism, and
institutional models from the Tang Chinese court, were adapted and
fused with indigenous culture (Shint and its mythology) to produce the
Emperor (Tenn) centered Yamato state and consolidate its power.
The spread of civilization from the central core of Asia to Japan is evident in
the adaptations of culture and religion, which elevated Yamatos authority.
The key elements of transmission enhanced the economic base of the
Yamato clan extending their control over the populous regions of Japan
through the Emperor Tenno. Shomus centered government succeeded in the
Japanese social and national unity and continuance of the imperial dynasty. In
its early evolution, this paper will highlight the integrated institutional models
from the Tang Chinese court with Confucianism and Buddhism that were
embedded into the Japanese government to strengthen their power
influencing the indigenous culture including Shinto. Thereby consolidating one
of the most powerful states in the eighth century.
Upon the introduction of the Chinese writing system, various clans coalesced
to form a central government, which then developed into the imperial family.
The Chinese literacy allowed the Japanese elite to gain access to abundant
amount of Confucian and Buddhist philosophy
1
. These ideas immediately
benefitted to organizing the state. Confucianism mainly provided Japan a
hierarchical model for social and political order
2
. It explained personal
interaction, detailing on the responsibilities and duties that existed in the basic
relations. The dyadic relationships were further implemented on the

1
Morton and Olenik, Japan.
2
Kasulis, Japanese Philosophy.
2
dependency of hierarchy. The superior person is in debt to provide for the
substandard person and the one of lower position is maintain loyalty to that of
superior position
3
. The imperial family applied this system to institute a vertical
bureaucracy. However the social structure did not lead to further interest or
developments of Confucian philosophy in comparison to Buddhism.
Buddhism appealed to the Japanese due to its aesthetic and thaumaturgy
qualities. The Great Buddha located at Todaji built by the avid Buddhist King,
Shomu, illustrates this undoubtedly and the effect of Tang culture
4
. However
to understand how Japan was stimulated under these influences one must
understand the governing system of Japan. Shomu in his kingship was
profusely dynamic in influencing Buddhism
5
. He was deemed a god in the
form of human and was also depicted as the bridge between the people of
Japan and divine spirits in the mandate of heaven
6
. Characterizing himself as
the Servant of Buddha he emphasized that his presence was essential in the
maintenance of the well being of society and state
7
. This also establishes the
fusion of continental Buddhism into indigenous culture. It is further evident
that the Japanese created an elaborate central government derived from the
Tang Chinese system, the most complex and highly developed governmental
system of the eighth century. The contemporaneous rite authenticates Japan
interceding their nation into a small-scale version of Tang China. They
imitated the very architectures of the Tang capital city of Changan as a model

3
Kasulis, Japanese Philosophy.
4
Piggot, Emergence of Japanese Kingship, 236.
5
Ibid, 238.
6
Ibid, 252.
7
Ibid, 238.
3
for their own capital, Nara
8
. Furthermore Japanese who wanted to assert the
equality of their ruler with the emperor of China started using the emperor
term Tennoin the seventh century.
9
However to mimic the urbanized and
industrialized culture of Tang China was relatively problematic as the
population of the states differed vastly. Japan prospered little as only the
capital city and its immediate surroundings was developed. Clans ties
remained very strong in outer areas of the country where it was not very
populated and centralized government could not be permitted to rule directly
through a capital-based bureaucracy. The development of a central
government therefore ascertained to be an easier method under Shomu
Tenno than recreating a Chinese-style provincial administration to rule the
sixty-six provinces. Borrowing heavily from Tang China's government, the
administrative power in Japan was invested in the Council of State similarly.
Officials reorganized government and created eight bureaucratic ministries
that paralleled those in Mainland China. The court replaced regional chieftains
in the provinces with government officials. They carried notable titles to
administer each province. However many of these administrators perceived
the job as a demotion from the traditional aristocracy. It was not a pleasing
task for them to leave the comfort of power and pleasures of the court. And it
did not take long before they delegated their authority to subordinates, local
aristocrats. As such, provincial authority was not very strong under the
centralized government.
10
Nonetheless the Japanese continued to adopt and
adorn other aspects of Chinese society. Construction of the Great Buddha in

8
Stearns, The Spread of Chinese Civilisation to Japan.
9
Ibid.
10
Morton and Olenik, Japan, 38.
4
the midst of the an elaborate, majestic ceremonial center of Nara furthermore
placed Shomu Tenno as the leader of the revitalized Buddhist kingship and
therefore successfully paints the Chinese style influences on the Heavenly
sovereignty
11
. They further formulated and implemented new courtly rites that
drew upon the Tang legal system depicting Shomu as the epitome of a
Chinese style monarch, including ceremonial raiment and formal adornment
of a sun-crested crown
12
. It is evident then that the Yamato clan strove to
develop a peasant conscript nation and impose policies and a system similar
to those of Tang China.
The most potent integrative force for solidarity in Shomus realm was
Buddhism. The Japanese culture flourished through Buddhism that was
installed as the state religion and as a source of authority for the emperor.
The dominance of China can be further highlighted through the Buddhist
architecture
13
. The elaborate temples and the craftsmanship became highly
popular and were quickly adopted into the Japanese society. However
centralizing the importance of Buddhism created opposition as the Buddhist
clergy was considered too powerful throughout
14
. Nonetheless Japan
continued to learn Buddhism through envoys travelling to China. The
introduction of Buddhism definitely supplemented the growing cultural identity
of Japan. As a response to the emerging movement of widespread Buddhism,
Shomu alongside his affinities expanded and enhanced its practices and

11
Piggot, Emergence of Japanese Kingship, 237.
12
Ibid, 251.
13
Ibid, 280.
14
Ibid, 245.
5
further followed the precedents directly from Tang China
15
. Articles have
stated that restrictive practices prescribed by the law on Monks were
discarded in provision of the dynamic Buddhism and its way of bodhisattva
16
.
Shomu Tenno took it upon himself to act as the servant of Buddha. He
reversed his characteristic of the Sutra where the servant became the lord,
savior-lord.
17
This can also be called the most extravagant monarchy
sovereignty as he claimed to possess all authority and wealth under the
heaven. Thereby he centered Yamato kingship and Buddhism highlighting the
continental influence of the religion. This union evidently endured through the
ages. Even in contemporary times, Buddhism and Tennos regime remains
united. The modern monarchy signifies the historical legacy of Shomus
kingship where the Tenno maintains the ritual coordination and oversight of
Buddhism
18
. The Buddhist religion became such a pivotal factor in the
transmission of Chinese influence to Japan that it drew directly upon Chinese
traditions catering to elites. Rather than proselytize towards the common
people, these religious institutions primarily catered to aristocrats and the
government. This is because the commoners did not understand or
appreciate Buddhisms complexities during Shomus kingship, however the
Yamato court quickly adopted the new religion as its own as stated. It reined
supreme in the capital district in comparison to the provinces. Exquisite
Buddhist temples were built at government expenses within the capital and
the royal court and local aristocracy sponsored impressive Buddhist
ceremonies. Not only was Buddhism expanded thereby, but also the authority

15
Piggot, Emergence of Japanese Kingship, 255.
16
Ibid, 280.
17
Ibid, 276.
18
Ibid, 280.
6
of provincial administration of Buddhists was applied into the Japanese
culture. Heavenly Sovereign Shomu envisioned the eight-island land
consistent fully under the cosmic universe of Buddha similarly like the Tang
Empress Wu
19
.
At the Japanese court and in the peasant villages, Shinto centered primarily.
Its influences were blended with well-established indigenous traditions of
nature worship, which collectively is known as Shintoism
20
. Thus, the
Japanese developed their own culture blending other aspects borrowed from
continental influences, especially the importation and refashioning of Tang
China. Shinto consisted of numerous gods and spirits associated with the
natural world. To ensure that they brought blessings rather than misfortune,
the Japanese made offerings of food and prayers to the deities at
special shrines. These structures were notable for their simple
ornamentation
21
. They gave rise to a unique Shinto style of Japanese
architecture. This persists to the present day and has considerable impact on
architecture in the contemporary world. Despite a few open conflicts between
the adherents of the native Shinto religion and Buddhism, it soon established
a balance and the two religions not only managed to co-exist, but even came
to complement one another
22
. This aided in the coexistence and practice of
both religions simultaneously. Thus the Japanese were able to devise a
system for equating Buddhist deities with Shinto gods. The religions
accompaniments allowed for it to thrive amongst the Japanese.

19
Piggot, Emergence of Japanese Kingship, 260.
20
Morton and Olenik, Japan, 29.
21
Segal, Heian Japan.
22
Segal, Heian Japan.
7
After adapting the aspects of the mainland Asia, Japan has been able to
make it compatible with the quite sophisticated culture they had previously
developed. The Japanese not only used what they had learnt through
Confucianism and Buddhism but they also built an empire, a civilization of
their own that gave rise to the Japan known today.


8
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