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Emperor Shōmu

Type Figure Region Japan Time 701–756 Also known as 聖武天皇、Emperor Shōmu、Abdicated Emperor Shōmu

Emperor Shōmu (701–756) was the 45th emperor of Japan, reigning c.724–749; his reign is noted for the Buddhist transformation of the state and large-…

Timeline

  1. 701–724Heijō-kyō · NaraBorn of the line of Prince Kusakabe, father of Emperor Shōmu and of Empress Genmei, he was named crown prince in childhood. Amid court turmoil early in the reigns of Empress Genshō and Emperor Shōmu, as heir he received Confucian and Buddhist education, laying the foundation for his later personal rule.
  2. 724–749Heijō-kyō · NaraAfter accession he promoted the idea of Buddhism protecting the state, issued edicts ordering temple construction, and established kokubunji and kokubunniji temples in the provinces. In 743 he ordered the casting of the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji and presided over related ceremonies, embodying the Nara political form of close union between imperial authority and Buddhism.
  3. 749–756Heijō-kyō · NaraAfter yielding the throne to Empress Kōken he continued to participate in state affairs as retired emperor, holding the eye-opening ceremony after the completion of Tōdai-ji's Great Buddha. Late in life he built palace quarters near the Shōsōin; after his death he was buried at the Saifuyama tomb, and the Tōdai-ji and Shōsōin artifacts left from his era remain important remains for studying Nara culture.

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