Nara period
Historical periods奈良時代 ・ Reading: Nara jidai
Definition
The era from 710 to 794, when Japan built its first permanent capital at Heijō-kyō, modern Nara. State Buddhism reached its height with the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji, and Shinto myth was first written down in the Kojiki.
Buddhism as state religion
In 710 the court settled at Heijō-kyō, laid out on a Chinese-style grid at modern Nara. Emperor Shōmu made Buddhism a project of the state: in 741 he ordered a provincial temple, a kokubunji, built in every province, and in 752 the colossal bronze Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji was dedicated with dignitaries attending from across Asia. Six scholarly schools of Buddhism flourished in the capital, and the Chinese master Ganjin arrived after five failed crossings to found Tōshōdai-ji.
Myths written down
The same era fixed Shinto tradition in writing. The Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720) recorded the age of the gods and the imperial line descending from the sun goddess Amaterasu, and Kasuga Taisha was founded in 768 as the shrine of the powerful Fujiwara family. For visitors today, Nara remains the best single place in Japan to stand before eighth-century Buddhism: Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Tōshōdai-ji, and the deer-filled park between them.
Common questions
- What is the Great Buddha of Nara?
A bronze statue of the cosmic Buddha Vairocana at Tōdai-ji, about 15 meters tall and dedicated in 752. It was a state project meant to protect the whole country, and its hall is among the largest wooden buildings in the world.
- What were kokubunji?
Provincial temples ordered by Emperor Shōmu in 741, one monastery and one nunnery per province, with Tōdai-ji at the head of the network. Many modern cities still have a district called Kokubunji marking the ancient site.
- Why are the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki important?
Compiled in 712 and 720, they are the oldest written records of Japanese mythology and the imperial line, and shrines across Japan trace their founding legends and enshrined deities to these two chronicles.