Asuka Period
From Tombs to Temples: The Asuka Period’s Leap Into History
From Tombs to Temples: The Asuka Period’s Leap Into History
When we left off in our last episode, the Kofun period was ending with a bang – or rather, with mountains of earth heaped into monumental tombs. The Yamato clan had risen to power, uniting clans through alliances and earthen engineering. Terracotta haniwa guardians stood watch over keyhole‑shaped mounds, and Sueki stoneware signalled technological sophistication. Yet even as the Yamato buried their leaders in moated necropolises, cracks were forming in this old order. New ideas were crossing the seas from China and Korea: Buddhism, written scripts, coins, weights, measures and a system of government that looked very different from clan politics. The Asuka period (c. 538–710 CE) is Japan’s first fully historical era, documented by its own chronicles and enriched by a flood of continental influences. Named after the capital at Asuka in modern Nara Prefecture, this era saw the transformation of the Yamato polity into a centralised state. It’s a tale of ambitious rulers and regents – Empress Suiko, Prince Shōtoku, Emperor Tenji, Fujiwara no Kamatari – who looked abroad for inspiration and at home for legitimacy. The Asuka period gave Japan its earliest constitution, its first Buddhist temples, its earliest coinage and a taste of international diplomacy. It also produced palace intrigues, clan rivalries and battles that would not be out of place in a modern political thriller. In short, it is where our narrative shifts from earthen mounds to wooden pagodas, from clay guardians to gilded Buddhas.
One of the first things you notice about the Asuka period is that the capital never sits still. During the preceding Kofun era, the Yamato court moved frequently, but the Asuka period institutionalised this mobility. The capital at Asuka served as the seat of power during the early 7th century, but by 645 CE, following a coup (more on that shortly), the court relocated to Naniwa (modern Osaka). In 694 CE, they moved again to Fujiwara‑kyō, a purpose‑built city laid out on a Chinese‑style grid. Finally, in 710 CE, the court established Heijō‑kyō (better known as Nara), the first permanent capital, marking the end of the Asuka period and the beginning of the Nara era[5]. Why all the moving? Each new emperor traditionally founded a new palace, partly due to Shinto beliefs in ritual purity, which dictated that a new sovereign should not live in the home of a predecessor. But there were practical reasons, too. The court was experimenting with Chinese models of government, which required bureaucrats, record keeping and large urban centres. Relocating allowed the rulers to test new city plans and administrative structures. When Heijō‑kyō became the permanent capital, it signalled that Japan was ready for sustained central government and the monumental building projects that would define the next era.
If the Kofun period was defined by burial mounds, the Asuka period is defined by Buddhist temples. Buddhism arrived via diplomatic missions from Baekje (Paekche), one of Korea’s Three Kingdoms, around 552 CE. The new faith immediately sparked a cultural revolution. Unlike Shinto, which revered spirits (kami) embodied in natural objects, Buddhism introduced anthropomorphic deities, complex cosmologies and visual iconography. With it came Chinese characters, coins, standardised weights and measures, and an emphasis on record keeping, all of which were essential for building a centralised state[5]. The story goes that Emperor Yomei (r. 585–587) fell ill and, hoping for a cure, vowed to build a temple if he recovered. He died before construction began, but his widow Empress Suiko and their nephew Prince Shōtoku carried out his wish. The result was Hōryūji, or the “Temple of Flourishing Law,” located near Nara. Founded in the 590s, Hōryūji is home to some of the oldest wooden buildings in the world and houses treasures like the Kudara Kannon, a slender camphor‑wood sculpture believed to have Korean origins, and the Great Buddha of Asuka, a nine‑foot bronze statue cast in 609[2]. The temple’s five‑story pagoda and main hall display architectural techniques such as entasis (slight curvature) in columns, reminiscent of ancient Greek design[2]. Prince Shōtoku (574–622) did more than build temples. He championed Buddhism as a state religion, believing it would civilise Japan in the eyes of its powerful neighbours. Shōtoku studied Buddhist teachings, invited artisans from Korea and China, and encouraged the creation of new sculptures and paintings. According to legend, he even mastered the art of listening to eight court cases simultaneously – a multitasking feat we would advise against trying at home. Within a century of his death, Shōtoku was worshipped as an incarnation of the Buddha, and his image adorned temples across Japan[2].
Prince Shōtoku’s contributions were not limited to architecture and religion. In 604 CE, he compiled the Seventeen‑Article Constitution, one of the earliest known Japanese documents. Despite the grand name, it is not a constitution in the modern sense but a set of moral guidelines for government officials. It emphasises harmony (wa) among the ruling class, the supremacy of the emperor, the importance of merit over heredity in official appointments and the adoption of Buddhist and Confucian principles[4]. It also urges ministers to avoid anger, envy and personal ambition – advice that some later politicians might have overlooked. The document illustrates Japan’s aspiration to replicate Chinese administrative models while adapting them to local needs. Shōtoku also dispatched embassies to the Sui dynasty in China, beginning around 607 CE, to learn about their bureaucratic systems, law codes and religious practices[4]. These missions were bold statements: in one famous letter, Shōtoku referred to the Japanese ruler as the “Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises,” addressing the Chinese emperor, the “Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets,” as an equal – a diplomatic flourish that raised eyebrows in the Chinese court. Through these interactions, Japan imported Chinese script, administrative techniques and styles of art and architecture, setting the stage for deeper cultural exchange.
While Prince Shōtoku advocated harmony, politics in Asuka Japan were anything but tranquil. At the heart of the drama were two powerful clans: the Soga, who had Korean roots and supported Buddhism, and the Mononobe and Nakatomi clans, who championed Shinto and the old ways. The Soga clan’s fortunes rose when Soga no Umako married his daughters into the imperial family, producing several emperors. But their dominance bred resentment. After Shōtoku’s death, tensions culminated in the Isshi Incident of 645 CE. Prince Naka no Ōe (later Emperor Tenji) and his ally Nakatomi no Kamatari (later Fujiwara no Kamatari) assassinated Soga no Iruka during a court meeting. Iruka’s father, Soga no Emishi, committed suicide shortly after, and the Soga’s grip on power ended. With the Soga out of the way, Nakatomi no Kamatari became the chief minister and was granted the surname Fujiwara, founding a clan that would dominate Japanese politics for centuries[4]. The coup cleared the path for sweeping reforms known as the Taika Reforms (“Great Change”). Initiated in 645 CE, these reforms nationalised land, restructured social ranks, introduced taxation in kind (grain and cloth rather than corvée labour), created civil service examinations and promulgated law codes modelled on Tang China[4]. The reforms sought to curb the power of regional clans and centralise authority under the emperor. They also mandated the compilation of official histories, leading to works like the Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720) in the early Nara period. In effect, the Taika Reforms were Japan’s attempt to transform from a confederation of clans into a bureaucratic empire.
If you thought the Isshi Incident sounded violent, brace yourself for the Jinshin Incident (671–672). After Emperor Tenji’s death, a succession dispute erupted between his son Prince Ōtomo and his brother Prince Ōama. What began as palace intrigue quickly turned into open warfare. Supporters of each prince raised armies, set temples ablaze and slaughtered opponents. In the end, Prince Ōama prevailed and ascended the throne as Emperor Temmu[4]. Having won by force, Temmu wasted no time consolidating power. He trimmed the extended imperial family to eliminate potential rivals, appointed loyal followers to key posts, created a conscript army and banned the private possession of weapons[4]. In 684 CE, he introduced a new system of hereditary ranks and moved the capital to Fujiwara‑kyō, a Chinese‑style city with a rectangular grid. Emperor Temmu also commissioned the earliest coinage in Japan – the Wadō Kaihō introduced in 708 CE – although coins would not come into widespread use until the Nara period[5]. His reign saw a flowering of literature and arts, with poems later collected in the Man’yōshū, Japan’s oldest poetry anthology. Temmu’s actions and the Jinshin Incident underscored a recurring theme: the struggle to control succession and centralise authority, often at great human cost.
The Asuka period was not an insular age. Japan maintained ongoing contact with Korea and China, absorbing ideas and sending envoys. The Paekche kingdom exported teachers, craftsmen and architects, bringing Confucian classics and new building techniques[4][5]. Korean immigrants played significant roles in the Japanese court and religious institutions. Relations were complicated, though. In 660 CE, the allied forces of the Silla kingdom and the Tang dynasty destroyed Paekche, prompting a pro‑Paekche faction in Japan to dispatch an expeditionary force to help restore their ally. The resulting Battle of Baekgang (or Hakusonko) in 663 CE ended disastrously for the Japanese, with their 800‑ship fleet destroyed at the mouth of the Geum River[4]. This defeat curtailed Japanese ambitions on the Korean peninsula and led to an influx of refugees from both Baekje and Goguryeo, who brought with them knowledge of Chinese and Korean arts, metalworking and agriculture. Meanwhile, embassies to the Sui and later Tang courts continued throughout the 7th century. Japanese students and monks studied Buddhism, law, architecture and medicine in China, returning home with sutras, sculptures and sometimes new haircuts. These cultural imports were not slavishly copied; rather, they inspired hybrid forms. Temples such as Gangōji and Daianji adopted Chinese layouts but retained Japanese aesthetics. Sculptors like Tori Busshi, of Korean descent, fused Chinese stylistic conventions with local tastes to create iconic Buddhas, while writers adapted Chinese script to record Japanese myths and poems.
Beyond politics and religion, the Asuka period ushered in a renaissance in art and literature. Buddhist sculpture flourished, with artisans carving elegant figures from camphor wood and casting bronzes in foundries supported by the court. The Hakuhō period (late 7th century), the latter part of Asuka, saw the Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) carved in wood at Hōryūji, their stern visages guarding the temple halls[2]. Artists also experimented with painted murals, though few survive; one example, the murals at the Takamatsuzuka Tomb, date from the very end of the period and depict court ladies and constellations in vibrant pigments. Literature thrived alongside visual arts. Court poets composed songs and chronicles that would later be compiled in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, blending myth, genealogy and history. The poems of the Man’yōshū reflect a society in flux: laments for fallen warriors, celebrations of love and seasonal landscapes and reflections on the impermanence of life – a theme reinforced by the era’s frequent palace relocations. Music and dance, influenced by Chinese and Korean court traditions, enlivened ceremonies. Even the introduction of coins and standardised measures changed everyday life, making trade and taxation more efficient and paving the way for a monetary economy.
Understanding the Asuka period requires looking back to the Kofun era. Many trends continued: the Yamato lineage maintained its hold on power, though now in a more bureaucratic guise. The concept of Shinto kami persisted, but their worship coexisted with Buddhism, producing a syncretic religious landscape. Just as Kofun tombs required monumental labour, so too did Asuka temples; both projects reveal the state’s ability to mobilise resources. The Kofun social structure of uji clans and be occupational groups evolved into a more stratified system, with Fujiwara ministers and conscript armies replacing independent clan armies. There were also marked differences. The haniwa that once ringed tombs gave way to Buddhist sculptures inside temples. The potter’s wheel introduced in the Kofun period now spun out roof tiles and bronze reliquaries instead of funeral jars. Military power that once built mounds now maintained order as a standing army. Most importantly, the Asuka period saw the birth of written history: the Nihon Shoki records events with dates, names and sometimes editorial comments. If the Kofun period is a bridge from prehistory to history, the Asuka period is the first firm ground on the other side.
The Asuka period stands as a pivotal chapter in Japan’s story. In less than two centuries, the country adopted a new religion, embraced a foreign script, experimented with capitals, wrote its first constitution and established a bureaucracy. It weathered palace coups and civil wars, hosted envoys and armies from across the seas, and produced art and literature of enduring beauty. By the time the court settled in Nara, the Yamato state had transformed into an empire in all but name, laying the groundwork for the splendours of the Nara and Heian periods. From the keyhole tombs of the Kofun to the pagodas of Asuka, from clay haniwa to bronze Buddhas, Japan’s evolution reveals a society eager to adapt, learn and build. The Asuka period shows us that monumental change can spring not only from conquest but also from ideas: the idea of harmony in government, the idea of enlightenment and the idea that borrowed traditions can take root in new soil. As we continue our journey through Japanese history, remember that behind every sweeping reform or grand temple are people – rulers, monks, artisans and farmers – who shaped their world with ambition and ingenuity. Their legacies linger in the pagodas of Nara, the verses of the Man’yōshū and the modern Japanese state itself.