THE AGE OF IMPERIAL ADMINISTRATION.
1.. The First Emperor jiminn and the De velopment of the Empire.—The Emperor Jimmtii the first emperor, valiant and wise, left with his forces the old palace of Hynga, in the southern part of Kyushu and settled in Yamato, the central part of Japin:. subtitling the aborigines called "Cave-Dwellers)) and . some nobles who had migrated there from Takama ga-Ham in a still earlier period, he was crowned as emperor, and ordained the duties of his sub jects of . merit and those nobles who became submissive to him, including military affairs, rites, local administration, etc.
Such a distribUtion of duties was extended even to subaltern subjects, and as the original holder of an office bequeathed it to his son, who again passed. it 'to his ion in succession, names of professions in the course of time came to denote families • themselves. These' faMilies possessed retainers and land property, and titles "Kahane*. as Oini, Muraji,:etc., varying accord.
to the family dignity, were conferred by the emperor upon their headmen. Otorno-no O-rnurati Mononobe-O-muraji, Nakatomir no-O-muraji, Soga-no-O-orni, etc., were the most influential of these titled families. If the need arose these families were to take arms for the emperor — the very centre round which thetplvere firmly united.
In the ,reign of the Emperor Sujin (the .10th).four generals were sent in four directions to extend 'the imperial authority. A system of taxation was .fixed for the first time, industry encouraged and communication facilitated. Thus under the emperor the country made con spicudus progress. ..
Two rebellions tribes, however, arose in the West and the' north, the former with the name of "Ktunaso# and the later to subdue which; the Emperor Keiko, the grandson of the Emperor Sujin, dispatched his son, Yamato ilakeru-no•mikoto. Being completely freed from internal trouble, attention was turned to Korea, whine southern porticin was already in Japanese possession. The narrow channel separating Korea and Japan had been crossed constantly since: the days of the prehistoric age.
The Empress Jingo, the wife of the 14th emperor, attempted an expedition to Korea, her self leading the forces, and succeeding in mak ing nearly the whole of Korea dependent on Japanese authority.
The conquest of Korea had an important significance, not only because of the tribute she annually brought, but because of the liberal in troduction of Indian and Chinese civilization, for at that time Korea was far ahead of Japan in culture. A number of Chinese and Koreans were naturalized in Japan and various new arts were cultivated by them. In ancient Japan the gentlefolk were divided into three classes: (1) .Those descended from sovereigns; (2) those descended from deities of the prehistoric age; and (3) those descended from naturalized for eigners, as above mentioned.
In' the reign 'of the 29th emperor, Kimmei, in 552 A.D., the Korean envoy introduced images of Buddha and copies of the Sutras and strongly commended the virtues of Bud dhism. Mononobe and Soga, two influential families who held great political antipathy to ward each other, were widely separated in their opinions concerning the new religion, the former against it and the latter for it. Buddhism, however, having found an able advocate in the renowned Prince Shotoku, the Soga family at last overcame the anti-Buddhist party.
The Prince Shotoku, being charged with the regency of the 33d empress, Suiko, executed reforms in various departments. He laid down, for the first time, a constitution containing the essentials of politics and ethics; introduced the use of the' calendar; dedicated to Buddha a number of magnificent temples, and in 607 A.D. the first authorized ambassador was sent to China with an aim promoting international intercourse. The arts of architecture, sculpture and painting made marked progress with the steadily growing popularity of the new creed, which necessarily led to the construction of many plades of worship.