Asuka Culture and the Rise of Buddhism

Asuka culture, which flourished during the time of Prince Shōtoku, was Japan’s first Buddhist culture. Many temples and Buddhist statues were created, including Hōryūji, which is also registered as a World Heritage Site.

Basic Knowledge

Asuka culture flourished from the late 6th century to the first half of the 7th century, centered in the Asuka region (Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture). It was centered on Buddhism and strongly influenced by China and Korea.
Main Asuka cultural heritage:
・Hōryūji: Built by Prince Shōtoku in 607. The oldest surviving wooden building in the world. Registered as a World Heritage Site in 1993
・Shitennōji: Built by Prince Shōtoku in 593. Located in Osaka Prefecture
・Asukadera: Built by Soga no Umako in 596. Japan’s oldest full-scale temple
・Shaka Triad: In the Main Hall of Hōryūji, made by Tori Busshi (Kuratsukuri no Tori). Northern Wei style
・Kudara Kannon: At Hōryūji, with a slender and graceful appearance
・Tamamushi Shrine: At Hōryūji, an artwork decorated with jewel beetle wings
・Chūgūji Maitreya statue: A graceful bodhisattva statue lost in thought

Further Study (Background・Impact)

A feature of Asuka culture is that it was influenced by the Chinese Northern and Southern Dynasties. Buddhist statues show both the stern style of the Northern Dynasty (Northern Wei) and the gentle style of the Southern Dynasty.
・Northern Wei style: Symmetry, stern expressions, and linear folds in clothing, as seen in the Shaka Triad
・Southern Dynasty style: A graceful and gentle appearance, as seen in the Kudara Kannon
Asuka culture was led by immigrants from the Korean Peninsula and their descendants. Tori Busshi (Kuratsukuri no Tori), who made the Shaka Triad at Hōryūji, was a descendant of immigrants. Architectural, painting, and Buddhist sculpture techniques were all transmitted from the Korean Peninsula and China.
Hōryūji was founded in 607, but the buildings that remain today are considered to have been rebuilt from the late 7th century to the early 8th century after being destroyed by fire in 670. Even so, it is the oldest wooden building in the world and was registered in 1993 as Japan’s first World Heritage Site, together with Himeji Castle.
Buddhism was not merely a religion; it was an integrated system of advanced culture, technology, and thought. Accepting Buddhism meant accepting the civilizations of China and Korea, and it was also a means of raising the prestige of the state.

Points to Note (Easy to Confuse)

① Do not confuse Hōryūji with Asukadera. Hōryūji = Prince Shōtoku・Ikaruga; Asukadera = Soga no Umako・Asuka Village. ② Remember the difference between the Shaka Triad (stern Northern Wei style) and the Kudara Kannon (graceful Southern Dynasty style). ③ Tori Busshi (Kuratsukuri no Tori) was a descendant of immigrants from the Korean Peninsula. The works were not made only by Japanese people. ④ Hōryūji is in Ikaruga Town, Nara Prefecture. It is a different region from Asuka. ⑤ Buddhism in the Asuka period was centered on the aristocracy and had not yet spread among ordinary people. Its spread among ordinary people began from the Nara and Heian periods onward.

Practice

1. What is the name of the temple considered to be the oldest wooden building in the world?
2. What was the name of the Buddhist sculptor who made the Shaka Triad at Hōryūji?
3. Explain the features of Asuka culture in relation to China and Korea.