Taika Reform

The Taika Reforms (大化改新 Taika no Kaishin) were a set of doctrines established by Emperor K?toku in the year 646. They were written shortly after the death of Shōtoku Taishi, and the defeat of the Soga clan, which united Japan. Crown Prince Naka no Ōe (who would later reign as Emperor Tenji), Nakatomi no Kamatari, and Emperor K?toku jointly embarked on the details of the Reforms. Emperor K?toku then took the name "Taika" (大化), or "Great Reform".

Related Topics:
Emperor K?toku - 646 - Shōtoku Taishi - Soga - Japan - Emperor Tenji - Nakatomi no Kamatari

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The Reform began with land reform, based on Confucian ideas from China, but the true aim of the reforms was to bring about greater centralization and to enhance the power of the Imperial Court, which was also based on the governmental structure of China. Envoys and students were dispatched to China to learn seemingly everything from the writing system, religion, literature, and architecture, to even dietary habits at this time. Until today, the impact of the reforms can still be seen in Japanese cultural life.

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