The earliest traceable history in Japan is the Jomon Period, about 10,000 years ago, a period in which the Paleolithic Age was about to transition to the Neolithic Age, and Jomon pottery is the most obvious marker. Later, because Kyushu Island was the closest to the origin of East Asian civilization, with the entry of East Asian immigrants such as China and Korea into Japan, agricultural technology, civil construction technology, and agricultural civilization such as firing pottery, wrought iron, and textiles were brought into Japan, and Japan entered the Yayoi era (300 BC - 250 AD).
The king of the Uighur kingdom on the island of Kyushu paid tribute to the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Guangwu of Han gave him the "Golden Seal of the King of Han". This history is recorded in the Book of Han and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
National Treasure of Japan: The Golden Seal of the Han Dynasty King, now in the Fukuoka City Museum, Japan.
Kofun Period: Under the name of Yamato, the emperor appeared
By the middle of the period, there was a uighur king on Kyushu island who paid tribute to the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Guangwu of Han gave him the "Golden Seal of the King of Han Wunu". This history is recorded in the Book of Han and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is one of the roots of why Japan is still particularly keen on the history of the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu in China to this day. After that, many tribal states were born in Japan, and they fought frequently with each other, and it was not until the middle of the 3rd century that the powerful Yamato Kingdom gradually unified the central region of Japan, and its leader was the later emperor, and The history of Japan entered the "Yamato Period" or "Kofun Period" (250-592).
It was not until the middle of the 3rd century that the powerful Yamato Kingdom gradually unified the central region of Japan, and its leader was the future emperor.
In the middle of the 4th century, the Yamato Kingdom invaded Korea and conquered Baekje and Silla on the Korean Peninsula in 391.
At this time, the center of Japanese rule was in the Kiuchi region, but with internal unification, the Yamato State began to expand in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, and in the middle of the 4th century, the "Yamato Kingdom" invaded Korea and conquered Baekje and Silla on the Korean Peninsula in 391, but was defeated by Goguryeo in the north. At this time, the Yamato kingdom continued to draw nourishment from the Chinese civilization, and during the "Five Kings of Wu" period, it sent tribute to China many times, and accepted the title of General Ofong by the Southern Dynasty Song Dynasty. However, since it was only granted military jurisdiction over Silla, the remaining six kingdoms of Baekje, Renna, Qinhan, and Muhan were not recognized, so starting from The Uighur King, he officially broke away from the Chinese canonization and began to claim the throne alone.
Beginning with Wu Wangwu, Japan officially broke away from China's canonization and began to claim the throne on its own.
The SuE clan elected the first female emperor in Japanese history, Emperor Teiko, and Japanese history entered the Asuka period (592-710).
The Asuka Era: Japan's "Wu Zetian"
During this period, the local nobles in Japan competed for power, and the Daisuke and Theobe clan came to power one after another, and were eventually annihilated by the Su I clan, who elected the first female emperor in Japanese history, Emperor Tuiko, and Japanese history entered the Asuka era (592-710), named after the political center of Fujiwara Kyo (now Asuka in Nara Prefecture). In the early days, the Su I clan monopolized power, but the emperor's heir, Prince Seontoku, also carried out a series of reforms to strengthen centralized power, which came against the backdrop of China's 169-year division of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, and the re-emergence of Silla on the Korean Peninsula, gradually freed from the control of the Yamato State.
Because Baekje united with Goguryeo to obstruct Silla and Tang dynasty transportation and tribute, Silla called for help from the Tang. In 660, the Tang sent Su Dingfang to lead the destruction of Baekje.
In 663, after the Battle of Baekchongang, the Tang Dynasty defeated the Uighurs and the Baekje Restoration forces he supported, and the whole territory of Baekje became a tang region.
In 660 AD, after the Tang Dynasty successively destroyed Baekje in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula and Goguryeo in the north, the remnants of Baekje sought help from yamato (Japan), which, in order to restore its prestige on the Korean Peninsula and also to counter the anti-innovation forces in the country, decided to use the strength of the whole country to send troops to Korea, so the Battle of Baekgangkou (663) between Datang + Silla vs Yamato + Baekje broke out, resulting in the Tang naval army winning more with less and more, defeating the Yamato State in one fell swoop, laying the foundation for the political, economic, and political, economic, and political and economic affairs of Northeast Asia for more than a thousand years. Cultural landscape. The Yamato forces were expelled from the Korean Peninsula.
In one fell swoop, the Battle of Baijiangkou laid the political, economic, and cultural pattern of Northeast Asia for more than a thousand years. The Japanese forces were expelled from the Korean Peninsula.
Recognizing that the Tang Dynasty was strong and prosperous, the Yamato State had turned to reconcile with the Tang Dynasty, and sent a large number of Envoys to the Tang Dynasty to learn the various systems of the Tang Dynasty.
Recognizing that the Tang Dynasty's powerful Yamato Kingdom had turned to reconcile with the Tang Dynasty, a large number of Envoys were sent to study the Tang Dynasty's legal system, the three-province and six-part system, the prefecture and county system, the Gongtian citizenship system, the Juntian system (Japan's Bantian Acceptance And Granting Law) and the rent system, and as the exchange students sent by emperor Tuigu returned to China one after another, the "Dahua Reform" movement entered a climax, the land of the nobles was nationalized, the people were converted into national citizens, and the Yamato Kingdom was renamed the State of Japan, which means "the country where the sun rises". Japan transitioned from a slave society to a feudal society, and some of the productive forces were liberated, laying the foundation for the development of Japan's national development.
The Dahua Reform enabled Japan to transition from a slave society to a feudal society, and some of the productive forces were liberated, laying the foundation for Japan's national development direction.
Nara period: The Ōwa Reform helped Japan enter its first Peaceful Era
In 710 AD, Japan moved its capital to the new capital of Nara (ancient named Heijo-kyo, located in the Osaka Metropolitan Area) planned by chang'an and Luoyang in the Tang Dynasty, and Japanese history entered the Nara era (710-794), which lasted for eight generations of emperors and lasted for 84 years. Due to the emphasis on farming, the construction of water conservancy, the reward of reclamation, the rapid development of social economy, coupled with the influence of the Nara period by the Sheng Tang culture, Japan's first cultural prosperity situation appeared, it was a peaceful and prosperous era of Guotai Min'an.
Legend has it that when the Nara Kasuga Taisha Shrine was founded, takeru, the god of Kashima Jingu shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture, came to Nara by deer. So the deer became the god of The Kasuga Taisha Shrine.
Japan's oldest historical book, the Kojiki, the oldest history book, the Nihon Shoki, and the oldest collection of Chinese poems, Kaikazezao, are all from the Nara period.
Although from 630 to 894, Japan sent as many as 19 appointments to the Tang Dynasty, and the number of people who entered the Tang Dynasty was 1-2,000 each time, Japan, which fully learned from the Tang Dynasty, still did not learn the imperial examination system, which laid a hidden danger for the accumulation of shortcomings in the late Nara era. The examination system is the fairest form of talent selection that can be adopted in the feudal era, which expands the social level of the feudal state to introduce talents, and absorbs a large number of people from the middle and lower classes into the ruling class, which is conducive to social stability and political clarity.
From 630 to 894, Japan sent as many as 19 envoys to the Tang Dynasty, and the number of people who entered the Tang Dynasty each time was 1-2,000, fully learning from the Tang Dynasty.
At this time, Japan was in a period of rising aristocratic power, and the imperial examination system with an equal spirit was in great conflict with the aristocratic tradition, so it was difficult to take root in Japan.
However, because Japan was in a period of rising aristocratic power at this time, the imperial examination system with an egalitarian spirit was in great conflict with the aristocratic tradition, so it was difficult to take root in Japan. Due to the hereditary participation of nobles in government and the inheritance of scholars, although Japan established the system of tribute in 701 with the promulgation of the Great Treasure Law Order, after the Edo period in the 10th century, tribute was extinct, and the prestige of seniority made the Japanese imperial examination increasingly formalized and hereditary.
In 701, Japan promulgated the Daiho Ordinance to establish a tribute system, but by the Edo period in the 10th century, tribute had disappeared.
Heian period: The emperor is weak and the samurai are rising
In 794, when the conflict between the emperor and the aristocratic forces intensified at the end of the Nara Dynasty, Emperor Huanwu reformed the military system in order to weaken the power of the powerful nobles and monks, and on the one hand continued to expand the territory to the northeast of Honshu Island, on the other hand, the capital was moved to the newly built Heian Kyo, and Japanese history entered the Heian period (794-1185). As for the root cause of the intensification of contradictions, the drawbacks of the Bantian system are fundamental, first of all, the heavy rent and the burden of conscription make it difficult for the people to bear it and abandon their household registration and divide the land and flee; then the land is state-owned, and the population is constantly increasing, resulting in no land to work; coupled with the fact that the nobles and officials use the power to control the Bantian to encroach on a large number of public lands... This is the same as the drawbacks of the juntian system faced by the late Tang Dynasty.
In 794, Emperor Huanwu moved the capital to the newly built Heian Kyo in order to weaken the power of powerful nobles and monks. The picture shows Tenryu-ji Temple in Kyoto.
Emperor Huanwu used his troops three times to expand Japan's territory into Shiba Castle (present-day Morioka City, Honyate Prefecture).
So Emperor Huanwu carried out a series of reforms, first to evaluate the performance of officials, to combat corrupt officials, and then to adjust the bantian system, implement the loan rice system (similar to Wang Anshi's green shoot law) and reform the system of good and lowly, the conscription system was also changed to the "jian'er system" of recruitment, and three times used troops in the northeast Ezo land (that is, the Anuyi people, see "Hokkaido: How was Japan's second largest island after Honshu Island encroached upon and annexed?"). "), expanding its territory to Shiba Castle (present-day Morioka City, Honyate Prefecture).
Under the manor system, the local magnates formed interest groups to form local samurai, and gradually became the source of the strength of the local samurai.
The Japanese manor system was formed on the basis of the collapse of the Bantian system, in which various nobles, daiji communities, and local nobles took advantage of the opportunity to take advantage of the plunder and carry out large-scale privatization of land.
Although a series of reforms increased the economic and military power of the Japanese state, the collapse of the Bantian system, which was the land system of the early feudal state that plundered the peasants, was inevitable. Later, the field blockade system and the manor lord system were replaced, and these manors formed interest groups to form local samurai, and gradually became a source of strength for samurai in various places, the emperor's power gradually declined, and the power of fujiwara Hokuka, a hero of the Great Transformation, soared, and by the second half of the 9th century, the regency politics was established to monopolize the imperial government. Among the local samurai, genji and the Hei clan rose to prominence and began to compete for the world.
Kyoto was the political center of Japan before the Meiji Restoration, headed by the emperor, and where nobles, officials, and samurai lived.
Kyoto was the political center of Japan before the Meiji Restoration, headed by the emperor, and where nobles, officials, and samurai lived.
Heian Kyo: Tang Chang'an Castle in Japan
Here is a special mention of "Heian Kyo", that is, Kyoto, a new capital city modeled after the Tang Dynasty Chang'an and Luoyang, with an area of 23.4 square kilometers, equivalent to one-fifth of Tang Chang'an City. It was the capital of Japan from 794 to 1869, and 1075, and seems to symbolize the characteristics of Japanese history: there are few twists and turns. Japanese history is not like the great turmoil in China, which has always been divided for a long time, and it must be divided for a long time, but the power is torn between the emperor and the nobility.
Overlooking Kyoto, modern buildings are lined up. In the distance is the 4-million-year-old Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan.
Kyoto became the capital of Japan from 794 AD, originally named "Heian Kyo", imitating the ancient Chinese model of Chang'an and Luoyang.
The Emperor lived in the northern part of Kyoto, which is also the seat of government offices, and was headed by the Emperor, where nobles, officials, and samurai lived. The surrounding area is the official residence of government officials, and the mansion is orderly and forms the official residence street. It was not until the time of Emperor Meiji, when the four powerful clans in the southwest overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate and the power was vested in the emperor, and for political reasons, the capital of Japan was moved to Tokyo, and the people of Kyoto protested and marched to prevent the emperor's relocation, but none. Later, the royal family and economically powerful people also moved to Tokyo.
Kyoto is divided into two districts, Zuokyo and Ukyo, centered on Suzaku Main Road. It was not until the 11th and 12th centuries that Heian Kyo was called Kyoto.
Liang sicheng also suggested that the Allies should also protect Kyoto and Nara in Japan.
At Liang Sicheng's behest, the Allies did not bomb Kyoto and Nara, and the Tang Dynasty-style wooden houses are still preserved.
In 1944, the Allied Command asked Liang Sicheng, who was the deputy director of the Cultural Relics Protection Committee of the Chinese Theater, to provide a list and map of the cultural relics in The Japanese-occupied areas of China, and Liang Sicheng also suggested that the Allies should also protect Kyoto and Nara in Japan.
At the end of the 12th century, the Heian period came to an end, and the samurai family clique Hei and Genji lost the power struggle between the Hei clan and genji. In order to avoid the pursuit, he fled into the mountains in the middle of Honshu Island.
The Hei family fled into the mountains of Gifu Prefecture and built simple houses that could be moved at any time using wood and locally produced thatch.
Back to the point, the representative of the local samurai, Genji and The Hei clan, competed for dominance, first with the Heiga samurai clique headed by Hei Kiyomori winning the victory and thus entering the public house, but with the death of the leader Hira Kiyomori, Genji made a comeback and defeated the Heijia army at Mt. Tonami, and Kiso Genji entered Kyoto to take power. After infighting, the Genrai Dynasty eventually replaced Genrai Zhong, and the Hei clan, who had withdrawn from Kyoto, took away the three artifacts of the imperial family (namely the Tencong Cloud Sword (Grass Sword), the Eight-Foot Qiong Gou Jade, and the Eight Mirrors), so the Genrai Dynasty bought the Hei clan by Emperor Shirakawa, after which the Ping family army was destroyed.
Derived from Japanese myths and legends, the Tencong Cloud Sword (Kusanagi Sword), the Eight-Foot Qionggou Jade, and the Eight Mirrors.
It is said that when Tensō descended, the god Amaterasu granted the Jojoge pestle and was inherited by the Japanese emperor from generation to generation. Similar to the status of the Chinese National Jade Seal.
On May 1, 2019, Naruhito inherited the Three Artifacts and the Imperial Seal of the Empire and became the 126th Emperor of Japan. The Heisei period came to an end, and Japan entered the Reiwa era.
In the end, the Genrai Dynasty destroyed the rival Genyoshi, as well as the fujiwara clan, which had lost power, completed the formal unification under the emperor's rule, was enthroned as a shogun, and opened the shogunate in Kamakura, opening the era of shogunate samurai rule, which was later known as the Kamakura shogunate (1185-1333), ending the Heian period after 400 years. From then on, the samurai regime was born in Japan, which led to the confrontation between samurai politics and the politics of the public (i.e., the imperial court secretaries and nobles).
Japan gave birth to the samurai regime, which led to the confrontation between samurai politics and the politics of the public (i.e., the imperial court secretaries and nobles), where will Japan go in the future?
In view of the length, the next issue of Japan's geopolitical pattern (III): Why do you threaten the emperor to order the princes, rather than abolish the emperor, and rule the world?
Review of the previous issue: Japan's Geopolitical Pattern (I): Humble and courteous but cruel and militaristic, why is the Japanese nation so contradictory?
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