Prince Shōtoku is famous for establishing Hōryū-ji Temple to spread Buddhism, but why is he said to be someone that every Japanese person knows?
That’s because Prince Shōtoku greatly contributed to the development of Japanese politics.
He established Japan’s first written law, the “Seventeen-Article Constitution,” which provided moral and disciplinary guidelines for government officials.
Among them, the famous first article, “Harmony is to be valued and quarrels should be avoided,” emphasizes the importance of harmony and the need to avoid conflicts.
The concept of “harmony” seems to still resonate in modern Japan. Are there any other achievements of Prince Shōtoku?
Another of his accomplishments is the “Twelve Level Cap and Rank System,” established in 603.
At that time, the social hierarchy was based on family lineage and inheritance, but Prince Shōtoku aimed to shift this to a system where positions were given according to individual abilities.
This idea was revolutionary and can be seen as a precursor to modern merit-based evaluations.
Valuing individual ability was certainly innovative for that era.
Prince Shōtoku pursued various political reforms and worked on building a new nation centered around the Emperor.
The system of government with the Emperor at its core has continued in Japan even to the present day, thanks in part to his efforts.
It seems that his ideas and achievements have had a lasting impact on modern Japanese society.
There are other remarkable things about him too. According to famous legends, he could listen to more than ten people speaking at once and even rode a horse through the sky to climb Mount Fuji.
He was such a legend!
At Hōryū-ji, we have fortune slips inscribed with teachings from the Seventeen-Article Constitution, so please come and visit!
