Nara Japan, 764 - 766: A Translation from Shoku Nihongi

By Ross Bender

In 764 Fujiwara no Nakamaro (also known as Emi no Oshikatsu) launched a short-lived rebellion that was smashed by forces loyal to the Retired Empress Koken. Koken then deposed the titular Emperor Junnin, Nakamaro's puppet, and exiled him to Awaji. The following year she retook the throne as Empress Shotoku.Japan in the 8th century experienced sudden and intense economic and cultural growth. At the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, the islands participated in a cosmopolitan East Asian sphere, receiving new innovations in art, architecture, law, and religion from both Tang China and the Korean peninsula. The disruption was so extreme that some have compared this period to the modern Meiji era, when Japan opened itself to the West and rapidly transformed itself into a modern nation. Nara was the capital for most of the century; it was an urban center with a population of about 100,000. The Empress Koken/Shotoku was the last premodern empress of Japan, the sixth of a remarkable series of women rulers in ancient Japan. Shoku Nihongi is the official court chronicle for Japan's eighth century. This translation covers the years 764-766. In addition to recounting political events, the Shoku Nihongi includes much valuable information about the economy, coinage, trade, and diplomatic relations with Tang China, Parhae, and Silla. The book includes the kanji text, an extensive kanji reference list, and bibliography.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1530349095
• ISBN13: 9781530349098
• Release Date: March 2016
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.0" x 10.0"