The Spread of Chinese Civilization

Japan Chinese influence on Japan peeked in the 7 th and 8 th centuries The Japanese courts were flooded with Chinese customs and cultures In 646, the Japanese Emperor looked to completely revamp their government to reflect China's style These were called the Taika reforms

The Japanese were struggling to master Chinese script Wrote dynastic histories Followed elaborate imperial court etiquette Struggled to master Confucian ways Worshipped in Chinese temples Admired Buddhist art Blended the worship of Chinese Buddhism and the kami – or nature spirits of Japan

Crisis If they would had succeeded, the Taika reforms would have solidified the impact of Chinese culture on Japan Aristocrats were resisting as well as Buddhist monks The Buddhist monks had grown so bold and powerful that the aristocrats feared them In 794, the Japanese Emperor (Kammu) established a new capital in in the city of Heian – later named Kyoto He banned Buddhist monasteries from building capitals there

In addition to fighting Buddhism, the emperor abandoned the Taika reforms He restored the aristocratic families The Japanese broke with the Chinese precedent of determining rank by birth and by allowing little mobility between various orders Abandoned the idea of a peasant army in favor for a militia style army

Ultracivilized The imperial Japanese court rose to new levels of refinement A closed world of luxury and aesthetic delights Followed strict codes of polite behavior Social status was everything Love affairs were a major preoccupation Gossip was rampant

The imperial families lived in elaborate homes with palaces and gardens Sliding panels, matted floors, and wooden walkways Fish ponds, artificial lakes, waterfalls and fine gardens Writing verse was another fine art The poems were often written on fans or scented paper The most celebrated of these poems was The Tale of the Genji