Shotoku taishi biography

Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子, Shōtoku Taishi the Prince of Holy Virtue), original name Umayado, (574-622) was a regent and one of the most outstanding figures in the history of early Japan. His reign marked a turning-point in the cultural and political development of Japan. A precocious child, he read extensively and acquired knowledge and wisdom at an early age. After the Soga clan defeated the Mononobe clan in a bloody struggle and Empress Suiko ascended the throne in 592, Shōtoku was appointed heir apparent in place of her own sons. He married her daughter, Princess Udodonokaidako, and acted as the ruler of Japan until his death in 622.

Shotoku is a legendary figure in ancient Japanese historical records such as the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki, which describe how he established a centralized government and harmonized warring political factions. Shotoku admired and adopted elements from the culture of continental Asia, such as the Chinese practice of distinguishing official ranks by the wearing of special caps, the first formal differentiation of governmental roles in Japan. In 604, Shotoku issued the Seventeen-Article Constitution, a collection of written maxims known as the first written law of Japan. Shotoku helped to establish Buddhism in Japan, personally supervising the construction of a number of Buddhist temples including the Shitennoji Temple and possibly the Horyuji temple, and inviting Buddhist priests and Confucian scholars from Korea. He also invited writers, artisans, sculptors, temple builders, and artists, initiating the first flowering of continental Asian culture in Japan. A letter written in 607 by Shotoku to the Emperor of China, Emperor Yang of Sui, contains the first written use of the name "Nihon," the modern name for Japan.

Semi-legendary Japanese prince (574–622)

Not to be confused with Empress Shōtoku.

Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子, Shōtoku Taishi, February 7, 574 – April 8, 622), also known as Prince Umayado (厩戸皇子, Umayado no ōjî, Umayado no miko) or Prince Kamitsumiya (上宮皇子, Kamitsumiya no ōji, Kamitsumiya no miko), was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger half-sister. But later, he was adopted by Prince Shōtoken. His parents were relatives of the ruling Soga clan and also he was involved in the defeat of the rival Mononobe clan. The primary source of the life and accomplishments of Prince Shōtoku comes from the Nihon Shoki. The Prince is renowned for modernizing the government administration and for promoting Buddhism in Japan. He also had two different families that fought over his custody.

Over successive generations, a devotional cult arose around the figure of Prince Shōtoku for the protection of Japan, the Imperial Family, and for Buddhism. Key religious figures such as Saichō, Shinran and others claimed inspiration or visions attributed to Prince Shōtoku.

Genealogy

Parents

Wives

• Princess Uji no Kaitako (菟道貝蛸皇女, b.570), daughter of Emperor Bidatsu and Empress Suiko
• Tachibana-no-Oiratsume, daughter of Prince Owari (橘大郎女)
  • Son: Prince Shiragabe (白髪部王; d.30 December 643),
  • Daughter: Princess Tejima (手島女王;30 December 643)
• Tojiko no Iratsume, daughter of Soga no Umako and Lady Mononobe (刀自古郎女)
  • Son: Prince Yamashiro (山背大兄王; 30 December 643)
  • Daughter: Princess Zai (財王; 30 December 643)
  • Son: Prince Hioki (日置王; 30 December 643)
  • Daughter: Princess Kataoka (片岡女王; 30 December 643)
• Lady Kashiwade no Iratsume (膳大郎女)
  • Son: Prince Hatsuse no Okimi (泊瀬王; 30 December 643)
  • Son:

An Opportunity for Reconsideration

Prince Shōtoku (574–622), one of the best-known imperial family politicians in Japanese history, is renowned for his cultural contributions. While there are many famous people who lived even more than a millennium ago in Japan, there are very few for whom we can clearly identify their years of birth and death, as well as their achievements.

The reason we know these details for Prince Shōtoku is the reverence shown to him from shortly after his death, which means that many materials and biographical records remain. Next year marks 1,400 years since his death, and during the 12 months leading up to this milestone, Buddhist memorial services will be held at related temples. There are also plans to exhibit cultural properties connected to his life in Nara, Osaka, and Tokyo. It is an opportunity to reconsider the man.

Despite the large number of extant documents and cultural items, it is extremely difficult to gain a true picture of Prince Shōtoku. There is evidence that he was venerated greatly even during his later years, and the process continued after his death. Numerous legendary anecdotes appear in biographical texts, and he was ultimately worshiped as an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Kannon.

Historically, he was known as Umayado, and the name Shōtoku, meaning “sagely virtue,” by which he has come to be known, was applied posthumously. The fact that this happened less than a century after he died shows the speed with which he came to be regarded as exceptional.

An Idealized Figure

The common image Japanese people have of Shōtoku is as follows. In 593, after his aunt Empress Suiko came to the throne, he became crown prince and was appointed as regent. In 601, he had a palace built at Ikaruga, to the northwest of Asuka (now Nara Prefecture), which was then the capital. When he moved there four years later, on the western side of the palace he founded the

Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item

Signature:

Inscription: Inscription on box cover "Painted by Tosa Tsunetaka"

Mrs. H. O. (Louisine W.) Havemeyer , New York (until d. 1929; bequeathed to MMA).

Princeton University Art Museum. "Transformations in Japanese Painting," March 1, 1983–June 26, 1983.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Arts of Japan," 1995.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "No Ordinary Mortals: The Human and Not-So-Human Figure in Japanese Art," November 1, 1996–October 5, 1997.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Art in Early Japan," 1999–2000.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Graceful Gestures: A Decade of Collecting Japanese Art," September 29, 2001–March 10, 2002.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Birds, Flowers, and Buddhist Paradise Imagery in Japanese Art," February 14–June 13, 2004.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "A Sensitivity to the Seasons: Spring and Summer," December 17, 2005–June 4, 2006.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "No Ordinary Mortals: The Human Figure in Japanese Art," 2007–2008.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Ukiyo-e Artists' Responses to Romantic Legends of Two Brothers: Narihira and Yukihira," March 27–June 8, 2008.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Storytelling in Japanese Art," November 19, 2011–