In 710, Empress Genmei moved the capital to Heijō-kyō, a huge city modeled on Chang’an in Tang China. This marked the beginning of the Nara period. Let us examine this period, when the ritsuryō state reached its peak.
Basic Knowledge
The Nara period refers to the approximately 80 years from the move of the capital to Heijō-kyō in 710 to the move of the capital to Heian-kyō in 794.
Heijō-kyō was Japan’s first full-scale city, constructed by Empress Genmei as a model of the Tang capital Chang’an.
Features of Heijō-kyō:
・Grid street system: An urban plan divided into a grid
・A vast area 4.8km from north to south and 4.3km from east to west
・The Suzaku Avenue (about 74m wide) ran through the center
・The Heijō Palace (the emperor’s residence and government offices) stood on the north side
・Commercial transactions took place in markets to the east and west
・The population was estimated at around 100,000
During the Nara period, household registers were maintained and the Handen system, sō, yō, and chō were carried out based on the ritsuryō system. In addition, Wadō Kaichin was minted in 708, and the beginnings of a monetary economy appeared throughout the Nara period.
708 Wadō Kaichin minted
710 Empress Genmei moved the capital to Heijō-kyō (beginning of the Nara period)
712 Records of Ancient Matters completed (compiled by Ō no Yasumaro)
720 Chronicles of Japan completed (compiled by Prince Toneri and others)
723 Three-Generation Ownership Law (newly cultivated fields could be privately owned for three generations)
741 Edict ordering the construction of provincial monasteries and convents
743 Edict ordering the construction of the Great Buddha; Permanent Private Ownership Law for Newly Cultivated Land
752 Eye-opening ceremony for the Great Buddha at Tōdaiji
794 Capital moved to Heian-kyō (end of the Nara period)
Further Study (Background・Impact)
Heijō-kyō was a planned city modeled on Chang’an, but it was smaller and had its own distinctive features. For example, Chang’an had city walls, while Heijō-kyō had no full-scale walls, reflecting its safe inland location.
The Suzaku Avenue running through the center of the capital was 74m wide, equivalent to more than ten lanes on a modern road. It had a strong ceremonial and symbolic meaning and was a street that demonstrated the prestige of the state rather than serving practical purposes.
The people living in Heijō-kyō were mainly aristocrats, officials and their families, people connected with temples, and commoners engaged in maintaining the capital. Many commoners were laborers conscripted from the provinces and suffered under harsh working conditions.
The center of government was the Daijō-kan, where aristocrats such as the ministers of the Left and Right and the grand councilors gathered to discuss national affairs. During the Nara period, the Fujiwara clan rapidly expanded its power. In particular, the four sons of Fujiwara no Fuhito (Muchimaro, Fusasaki, Umakai, and Maro) led the government as the “Four Fujiwara Brothers.” However, in 737, all four brothers died in a smallpox epidemic, a tragedy that eventually led Emperor Shōmu to construct the Great Buddha.
- 710: Empress Genmei moved the capital to Heijō-kyō → beginning of the Nara period
- Heijō-kyō = planned city modeled on Chang’an in Tang China, with a grid street system
- About 5km north to south, population about 100,000
- Suzaku Avenue = 74m wide, running north to south through the capital
- Politics: centered on the Daijō-kan; rise of the Fujiwara clan
- 708: Wadō Kaichin, first full-scale currency
- 737: Smallpox epidemic → deaths of the Four Fujiwara Brothers
Points to Note (Easy to Confuse)
① Do not confuse Heijō-kyō and Heian-kyō. Heijō-kyō = Nara (710), Heian-kyō = Kyoto (794). ② Empress Genmei moved the capital to Heijō-kyō, while Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-kyō. ③ Wadō Kaichin is pronounced “wadō kaichin” (or “wadō kaihō”). 708. ④ The grid street system divided the capital into the Left and Right Capitals centered on Suzaku Avenue, with east-west roads (jō) and north-south roads (bō). ⑤ Emperors of the Nara period: Genmei → Genshō → Shōmu → Kōken → Junnin → Shōtoku → Kōnin → Kanmu (move of the capital to Heian-kyō). ⑥ The name “Nara period” comes from the fact that Heijō-kyō was located in present-day Nara City.
Practice
- Name the emperor who moved the capital to Heijō-kyō and state the year of the move.
- Explain the features of Heijō-kyō’s urban plan, including the Suzaku Avenue.
- What was the name of the full-scale currency first minted during the Nara period, and in what year was it minted?