Japan emulated Chinese culture mainly due to the prosperity of the T’ang dynasty. The dynasty, which lasted from 618-907, is renowned as one of China’s two great golden ages. Like the golden age of Han before it, the T’ang dynasty flourished due to the reunification of the empire by its predecessors, the Sui dynasty. The Sui acc

In response to these gifts and messages, it is said that the Emperor and the head of the Soga clan agreed to accept this new religion as many other nations were doing so. Relations between the T’ang dynast and Japan began to develop at a quicker pace due to the introduction of Buddhism in part do to the actions of two Buddhist monks. In 623, the priests recommended Japan establish relations with the T’ang court. Later, in 630, the first official mission to the Tang court was carried out, and it was from this time onwards that the two empires made regular contact. Thus, through Japan’s acceptance of Buddhist influences contact with the T’ang dynasty was strengthened.

One of the clearest examples of borrowed Chinese principles lies in Japan’s development of a Chinese styled bureaucracy. The political reforms made by the Japanese government demonstrate that the imitation of Chinese dogma was carried out deliberately and shamelessly. The Great Reform known as the Taika, began in 645. The goal of the Imperial reforms was to make Japan a more centralized and powerful state. The reformers sought to create an all-powerful emperor surrounded by an intricate bureaucracy, modeled after the T’ang dynasty. The following changes were implemented in accordance with Chinese political structures. Firstly, the nation was divided into several provinces, administered by governors who were appointed by the central government. These provinces were then divided into counties, which were administered by locally appointed officials, and then divided into villages. Duties of the government officials were to collect taxes, recruit labor and to keep track of the population. This system mirrored the T’ang dynasty’s model of a highly centralized government. Another government implementation was the attempt to adopt the Chinese system of land tenure and taxation. This complex system was intended to take power away from wealthy landowners who blocked government access to tax revenue, and also to weaken their influence over the masses. The system worked by nationalizing land and distributing it evenly among the population. This arrangement paralleled the T’ang system of land allotment and taxation with few alterations. As a result, Japan developed a more organized and modern bureaucracy, which began to hold land surveys and censuses. Japanese society was thus transformed due to the new government reforms.

Chinese political institutions also introduced the Japanese to Chinese ethics, which were deeply entrenched in the dynastic political foundation. Both Confucianism and the concept of Yin and Yang were prevalent in every day life and bureaucracy in China. These beliefs stressed two main ideas. Confucianism emphasized the importance of a natural order in the universe, which had to be adhered to by all members of society. Yin and Yang was based on the preservation of balance in the universe. It was deeply rooted in ideas of dark and light, and good and bad. The transmission of these influences can be found in the new Japanese administrative reforms. For example, the Seventeen Article Constitution was inundated with Confucian doctrine. It discussed the issues of one’s role in society, the need for social harmony and the power of the government. The role of the ruler was to guide his people morally and ethically and not to burden them with too many laws. Social harmony could be achieved if all obeyed their natural roles in life.

The formation of these two famous works is also a symbol of Chinese influence in that it demonstrates the adoption of a significant Chinese belief. Japan’s first official history, was recorded by the government with many obviously borrowed ideas. The Kojiki or Record of Ancient Matters was written in 712 and followed by the Nihon Shoki or

Some topics in this essay:
History Japan, Reform Taika, Bureau Yin-Yang, Article Constitution, AD Japan, Relations T’ang, East Asia, Yin Yang, Chinese Korean, Han T’ang, t’ang dynasty, chinese culture, period borrowing, aspects chinese, chinese influence, aspects chinese culture, japanese culture, written language, cultural borrowing, chinese language, japanese society, chinese political structures, highly centralized government, study japan’s period, japan’s period borrowing,