645 was a big year for Japan. Not only did the Imperial Family regain control of the court, but it also conducted the nation’s first set of political reforms: the Taika reforms. Unfortunately, as is more often than not the case with history this old, the texts detailing the events are difficult to trust. The two texts that document the tale were both written around…
Every now and again history throws out a character so accomplished and yet so shrouded in mystery that they beg the question ‘Were they real?’. Of all such people, there are perhaps none so famous as Shōtoku Taishi. His face has adorned seven varieties of Japanese banknotes over the past hundred years―a feat unrivalled by any other historical figure. In the Heian era, he was…
Welcome to this overview of Japanese history. I should start off by saying that Japanese history is long. Very long. In fact, the first recorded Japanese history book, the Kojiki, published in 712, would have you believe that Japan was established in the 7th century BC. But it would also have you believe that the first emperor was a direct descendant of the gods who…
