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Buddhism in Japan's Asuka Period

Type Object Region Japan Time c. 538–700

After arriving from Baekje, Buddhism in Japan's Asuka period was promoted by the Soga clan and adopted by the court, becoming a key vehicle of state …

Timeline

  1. c. 538–550Yamato Province · Nara PrefectureKing Seong of Baekje sent envoys bearing Buddhist images and scriptures; Soga no Iname was the first to embrace it, and Buddhism began spreading among the court and powerful clans, sparking debates between pro- and anti-Buddhist factions, until the court ultimately recognized Buddhism's legal status.
  2. c. 593–622Ikaruga · Nara PrefectureDuring Prince Shōtoku's regency, the Seventeen-Article Constitution was promulgated and missions to Sui were dispatched; he built Hōryū-ji, Gangō-ji, and other temples, promoting the integration of Buddhism with state governance, and Asuka Buddhist art such as the Yumedono Kannon and Hōryū-ji architecture reached its peak.
  3. c. 645–700Asuka/Fujiwara-kyō · Nara PrefectureAfter the Taika Reform, the court used Buddhist ideas of protecting the state as policy support, established the Office of Monastic Affairs to manage monks and nuns, and large-scale temple-building campaigns took shape, paving the way for Nara-period state Buddhist institutions such as Tōdai-ji and the kokubunji system.

Sources