Buddhism

Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 538 by the king of Baekje to Emperor Kinmei. At that time, a gilt-bronze statue of Shakyamuni and Buddhist scriptures were sent, and figures such as Prince Shōtoku embraced Buddhism deeply and incorporated it into the nation. Many famous temples and cultural properties that still remain in Japan today—such as Hōryū-ji and the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji—were created as a result of this transmission of Buddhism.

alternate attendance system

Sankin-kōtai was a system instituted by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Edo shogunate, that required feudal lords (daimyo) to travel back and forth between their own domains and Edo every other year. A key aspect of this system was that the daimyo’s wives and children were required to live in Edo permanently. Because lords had to travel with many retainers and spend large sums of money, it is said the system was intended to force daimyo to expend resources and thereby weaken their power.

Potsdam Declaration

The Potsdam Declaration was a statement issued in July 1945 in the name of the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, setting forth the terms to end the war for Japan. Japan’s acceptance of it brought an end to the long-running Second World War and the Pacific War. It was a historically significant declaration that served as a catalyst for Japan’s rebirth as a peaceful nation.

haniwa

Haniwa are unglazed terracotta objects made to be lined up on and around kofun, which are burial mounds. They come in various forms—people, animals, houses, tools—and are thought to have served to protect or placate the souls of the dead. Many faithfully depict the clothing, weapons, and everyday implements of the time, making them extremely important materials for understanding an era with few written records.

Hirobumi Ito

Hirobumi Ito became Japan’s first Prime Minister in 1885. He was from the Choshu Domain, in what is now Yamaguchi Prefecture, and in his youth he studied abroad in Britain, where he learned about advanced Western politics and culture. Drawing on that experience, he played a central role in drafting Japan’s first constitution, the Meiji Constitution, and was a key figure in Japan’s development into a modern nation.

Germany

The Japanese constitution promulgated in 1889 and enforced in 1890. It was drafted with reference to the German constitution of the time, in which the monarch held strong powers. Under it, the Emperor possessed sovereign authority as the head of state, and citizens were granted freedoms—such as residence and movement, speech, assembly, and association—so long as they were within the bounds of the law.

national isolation policy (Sakoku)

The restrictions on foreign ships’ ports of call and controls over trade implemented by the Edo shogunate to enforce its rule over Japan are known as sakoku (national seclusion). In the global context of the time, policies limiting interaction and trade with foreign countries were also adopted by other Northeast Asian states. The period up to the 1854 signing of the Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and Japan is referred to as the era of sakoku.

Francis Xavier

Francis Xavier is said to have been the first to introduce Christianity to Japan. He was a missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre in Spain and one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus. In addition to Christianity, the things he brought to Japan in Kagoshima include firearms and elements of European culture.

Yamataikoku

One of the countries said to have existed around the 2nd to 3rd centuries. Yamatai, ruled by Queen Himiko, is considered to have been the capital of the Wa confederation. It is mentioned in the Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms (Wei Zhi’s Account of the Wa People), and debate continues over which region of the Japanese archipelago it was located in.

civilization and enlightenment

With the end of the isolation policy practiced during the Edo period and the arrival of Perry, Japan concluded the Treaty of Peace and Amity with the United States. The influx of Western culture in the early Meiji era is known as the Civilization and Enlightenment. Various Western artifacts—such as Western clothing, silk hats, and Western cuisine—were adopted.