List of National Treasures of Japan (writings: Chinese books)
Treasures -- Chinese manuscripts
Table:
Name

Authors

Remarks

Date

Format

Present location

Image

Wang Bo collection (王勃集, Ōbotsu-shū) vol. 28

unknown

Ueno Family collection; part of a 30 volume collection

0618Tang Dynasty

One handscroll

Tokyo Tokyo Privateprivate, Tokyo

Wang Bo collection (王勃集, Ōbotsu-shū) vol. 29, 30[19]

unknown

Oldest extant copy of a portion of Wang Bo's 30 scroll collected writings: one verse from the biography section, five of six verses from the prayer section (all vol. 29) and four memorial prayer verses (vol. 30); brought from China during the Nara period and stored at Kōfuku-ji; later owned by the painter Tomioka Tessai

0618Tang Dynasty, 7th–8th century

One handscroll, ink on paper, 26.5 cm × 447.7 cm (10.4 in × 176.3 in)

Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo

Spring and Autumn Annals collected commentaries (春秋経伝集解, Shunjū keiden shikkai) fragments of vol. 2[20]

unknown

Reverse side contains a 1078 transcription by a Kōyasan monk; manuscript returned to China during the Meiji period, returned to Japan 50 years later

0618Tang Dynasty, 7–8th century

One scroll, ink on paper

Kyoto Kyoto YurinkanFujii Saiseikai Yurinkan Museum of Art (藤井斉成会有鄰館, Fujii Saiseikai Yūrinkan), Kyoto

Book of Han, biography of Sima Xiangru (漢書楊雄伝, Kanjo yōyūden) vol. 57

unknown

—

0618Tang Dynasty

One scroll, ink on paper

Tokyo Tokyo Privateprivate, Tokyo

—

Anthology of Emperor Huizong of Song (徽宗文集序, Kisō bunshūjo)

Emperor Gaozong of Song

Written in regular script

1154Southern Song, 1154

One scroll, ink on paper, 27.4 cm × 137.0 cm (10.8 in × 53.9 in)

Tokyo Tokyo Agency for Cultural AffairsAgency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo

Classic of Rites annotated edition (礼記子本疏義, raiki shihonsogi) vol. 59[21]

Tei Shaku (鄭 灼)

Formerly in the possession of Tanaka Mitsuaki

0618Tang Dynasty

One scroll, ink on paper, 28.5 cm × 642.5 cm (11.2 in × 253.0 in)

Tokyo Tokyo Waseda UniversityWaseda University, Tokyo

Poetry anthology of members of the Hanlin Academy (翰林学士詩集, Kanrin gakushi shishū)[22][23]

unknown

60 four and five character verses (shigonshi/gogonshi) by great calligraphers working under Emperor Taizong of Tang: Chu Suiliang, Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan; reverse side contains a mid Heian period transcription of volume 5 of 正広智三蔵表制集

0618Tang Dynasty

One scroll, ink on paper, 28 cm × 643 cm (11 in × 253 in)

Aichi Nagoya Osu KannonŌsu Kannon Hōshō-in (宝生院), Nagoya, Aichi

—

Yupian (玉篇, gyokuhen), fragments of vol. 9[24][25]

unknown

Part of a 30 volume Chinese character dictionary

0700Tang Dynasty, 8th century

One scroll, ink on paper, 26.9 cm × 1,625.9 cm (10.6 in × 640.1 in)

Tokyo Tokyo Waseda UniversityWaseda University, Tokyo

Yupian (玉篇, gyokuhen), first half of vol. 27[17]

unknown

Part of a 30 volume Chinese character dictionary; one half of an extant complete volume[nb 7]

0618Tang Dynasty, 7th–8th century

One scroll, ink on paper, 27.2 cm × 915.0 cm (10.7 in × 360.2 in)

Kyoto Kyoto KozanjiKōzan-ji, Kyoto

Yupian (玉篇, gyokuhen), second half of vol. 27[17]

unknown

Part of a 30 volume Chinese character dictionary; one half of an extant complete volume[nb 8]

0618Tang Dynasty, 7th–8th century

One scroll, ink on paper

Shiga Otsu Ishiyamadera Ishiyama-dera, Ōtsu, Shiga

Old-Script Document of Antiquities (Guwen Shangshu) (古文尚書, kobun shōsho), vol. 6[26][27]

unknown

"Document of Antiquities" is another name for the Book of History; brought to Japan in Nara period; Japanese annotations from the mid-Heian period in red and black ink; on back of scroll: Genpisho, a document on the research of era names

0618beginning of Tang Dynasty, 7th century

One scroll, ink on paper, 26.3 cm × 328.0 cm (10.4 in × 129.1 in)

Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo

Document of Antiquities (Guwen Shangshu) (古文尚書, kobun shōsho), vol. 3, 5, 12

unknown

"Document of Antiquities" is another name for the Book of History; on back of scroll: Genpisho, a document on the research of era names

0618Tang Dynasty

One scroll, ink on paper, 26.8 cm × 1,138 cm (10.6 in × 448.0 in)

Tokyo Tokyo Toyo BunkoTōyō Bunko, Tokyo

—

Shuowen Jiezi (説文木部残巻, setsumon mokubu zankan, "Explaining Simple and Analyzing Compound Characters"), fragment

unknown

Chinese dictionary; oldest extant manuscript of this work; brought to Japan by Naitō Torajirō; fragment concerns the 木 section header

0800Tang Dynasty, 9th century, presumably 820

One scroll of six pages, ink on paper, 25.4 cm × 243 cm (10.0 in × 95.7 in)

Osaka Osaka Takeda Science FoundationTakeda Science Foundation (武田科学振興財団, Takeda Kagaku Shinkōzaidan), Osaka

A New Account of the Tales of the World (世説新書, sesetsu shinsho) fragments of vol. 6; parts of the "Admonitions and warnings" and "Quick perception" chapters[28][29]

unknown

Collection of anecdotes about distinguished people of the Later Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty; backside contains transcription of an esoteric Buddhist manual; oldest extant transcription of this work; handed down in the Kanchi-in subtemple of Tō-ji; split in four parts (all National Treasures) during the Meiji period

0650Tang Dynasty, second half of 7th to first half of 8th century

One scroll, ink on linen paper,27.1 cm × 397.0 cm (10.7 in × 156.3 in)

Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto National MuseumKyoto National Museum, Kyoto

A New Account of the Tales of the World (世説新書, sesetsu shinsho) fragments of vol. 6; "Virile Vigor" chapter[30][31]

unknown

Collection of anecdotes about distinguished people of the Later Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty; backside contains transcription of an esoteric Buddhist manual; oldest extant transcription of this work; handed down in the Kanchi-in subtemple of Tō-ji; split in four parts (all National Treasures) during the Meiji period

0650Tang Dynasty, second half of 7th to first half of 8th century

One scroll, ink on paper, 26.9 cm × 196.0 cm (10.6 in × 77.2 in)

Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo

A New Account of the Tales of the World (世説新書, sesetsu shinsho) fragments of vol. 6[32]

unknown

Collection of anecdotes about distinguished people of the Later Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty; backside contains transcription of an esoteric Buddhist manual; oldest extant transcription of this work; handed down in the Kanchi-in subtemple of Tō-ji; split in four parts (all National Treasures) during the Meiji period

0650Tang Dynasty, second half of 7th to first half of 8th century

One scroll, ink on paper

Tokyo Tokyo Agency for Cultural AffairsAgency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo

A New Account of the Tales of the World (世説新書, sesetsu shinsho) fragments of vol. 6

unknown

Collection of anecdotes about distinguished people of the Later Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty; backside contains transcription of an esoteric Buddhist manual; oldest extant transcription of this work; handed down in the Kanchi-in subtemple of Tō-ji; split in four parts (all National Treasures) during the Meiji period

0650Tang Dynasty, second half of 7th to first half of 8th century

One scroll, ink on paper

Hyogo Itami Privateprivate Ninishi Shinemon (小西新右衛門), Itami, Hyōgo

—

Mao Shi (毛詩, mōshi) fragments of vol. 6; Zheng Jian edition[33]

unknown

Collection of Chinese poems

0618early Tang Dynasty

One scroll

Tokyo Tokyo Toyo BunkoTōyō Bunko, Tokyo

Meihōki (冥報記)[17]

unknown

Collection of Buddhist karmic tales; oldest extant manuscript of this work; thought to have been brought to Japan by Engyō (円行), a pupil of Kūkai, in 838; one of two Chinese collections that the Nihon Ryōiki was modelled on[34]

838late Tang Dynasty

Three scrolls, ink on paper, height: 28.2 cm (11.1 in), lengths: 339.3 cm (133.6 in), 557.7 cm (219.6 in) and 672.7 cm (264.8 in) for scrolls 1, 2 and 3

Kyoto Kyoto KozanjiKōzan-ji, Kyoto

"Elegant Orchid" in the Jieshi Tuning (Jieshidiao Youlan) (碣石調幽蘭, kessekichōyūran) vol. 5[35][36]

unknown

Abridged copy of "Score for the seven-stringed zither" (guqin); transcription of the original by the zither player Qiugong (also known as Ming) from Huiji province; in text explanation of the finger movements to perform the piece "Elegant Orchid" and titles of 59 pieces at the end; original lost in China

0700Tang Dynasty, 7th–8th century

One handscroll, ink on paper, 27.4 cm × 423.1 cm (10.8 in × 166.6 in)

Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo

Drawing on the table and the textual context listed below.

Provide an answer to this question: Of which dynasty does this a collection of texts about the social forms , administration , and ceremonial rites describe that is currently located in this Japanese private research university in Shinjuku , Tokyo founded in 1882 ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Wang Bo ( Chinese : 王勃 ; Wade-Giles : Wang Po ; 650-676 ) , courtesy name Zi'an ( 子安 ) , was a Tang dynasty Chinese poet , traditionally grouped together with Luo Binwang , Lu Zhaolin , and Yang Jiong as the Four Paragons of the Early Tang . He died at the age of 26 , possibly from drowning , while going back from Jiaozhi ( Vietnam , then under Tang rule ) after meeting his father . He opposed the spread of the Gong Ti Style ( 宫体诗风 ) of the Sui Dynasty , and advocated a style rich in emotions . He was also famous for the essay Tengwang Ge Xu , which is included in the Chinese middle school curriculum .
The Tang dynasty ( /tɑːŋ/ ; Chinese : 唐朝 [ a ] ) or the Tang Empire was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 , with an interregnum between 690 and 705 . It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history . Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point in Chinese civilization , and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture . Tang territory , acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers , rivaled that of the Han dynasty . The Tang capital at Chang'an ( present-day Xi'an ) was the most populous city in the world in its day . The Lǐ family ( 李 ) founded the dynasty , seizing power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire . The dynasty was interrupted for 15 years when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne , proclaiming the Wu Zhou dynasty and becoming the only legitimate Chinese empress regnant . In two censuses of the 7th and 8th centuries , the Tang records estimated the population by number of registered households at about 50 million people . Yet , even when the central government was breaking down and unable to compile an accurate census of the population in the 9th century , it is estimated that the population had grown by then to about 80 million people . [ b ] With its large population base , the dynasty was able to raise professional and conscripted armies of hundreds of thousands of troops to contend with nomadic powers in dominating Inner Asia and the lucrative trade-routes along the Silk Road . Various kingdoms and states paid tribute to the Tang court , while the Tang also conquered or subdued several regions which it indirectly controlled through a protectorate system . Besides political hegemony , the Tang also exerted a powerful cultural influence over neighboring East Asian states such as those in Japan and Korea .
A scroll ( from the Old French escroe or escroue ) , also known as a roll , is a roll of papyrus , parchment , or paper containing writing .
Tokyo ( 東京 , Tōkyō , English : /ˈtoʊkioʊ/ , Japanese : [ toːkʲoː ] ( listen ) ) , officially Tokyo Metropolis ( 東京都 , Tōkyō-to ) , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan . The capital of Japan , it houses the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government . Tokyo forms part of the Kantō region on the southeastern side of Japan 's main island , Honshu , and includes the Izu and Ogasawara Islands . Originally a small fishing village named Edo ( 江戸 ) , the city became a prominent political center of Japan when Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters in 1603 . When Emperor Meiji moved the imperial seat to the city from Kyoto in 1868 , Edo was renamed Tokyo , literally the Eastern Capital . The Tokyo Metropolis formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture ( 東京府 , Tōkyō-fu ) and the city of Tokyo ( 東京市 , Tōkyō-shi ) . While commonly referred to as a city , Tokyo is a collective entity of multiple smaller municipalities , including 23 special wards and various bed towns in the western area . Modern Tokyo is categorized as an alpha+ city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . As of 2019 , the population of Tokyo was estimated to be over 13.9 million , making it Japan 's most populous prefecture . The metropolitan area is the world 's most populous with over 40 million people as well as the world 's largest urban agglomeration economy . As of 2011 [ update ] , Tokyo hosted 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies , the highest number of any city in the world at that time . The city ranked sixth on the Global Financial Centres Index of 2019 .
The Nara period ( 奈良時代 , Nara jidai ) of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794 . Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō ( present-day Nara ) . Except for a five-year period ( 740-745 ) , when the capital was briefly moved again , it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kanmu established a new capital , Nagaoka-kyō , in 784 , before moving to Heian-kyō , modern Kyoto , a decade later in 794 . Japanese society during this period was predominately agricultural and centered around village life . Most of the villagers followed a religion based on the worship of natural and ancestral spirits named kami which is Shintoism The capital at Nara was modeled after Chang'an , the capital city of the Tang dynasty . In many other ways , the Japanese upper classes patterned themselves after the Chinese , including adopting the Chinese writing system , Chinese fashion , and a Chinese version of Buddhism .
Kōfuku-ji ( 興福寺 , Kōfuku-ji ) is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara , Japan . The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school .
Tomioka Tessai ( 富岡 鉄斎 , 25 January 1836 - 31 December 1924 ) was the pseudonym for a painter and calligrapher in imperial Japan . He is regarded as the last major artist in the Bunjinga tradition and one of the first major artists of the Nihonga style . His real name was Yusuke , which he later changed to Hyakuren .
The Tokyo National Museum ( 東京国立博物館 , Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan ) or TNM is an art museum in Ueno Park in the Taitō ward of Tokyo , Japan . It is considered the oldest national museum in Japan , is the largest art museum in Japan , and is one of the largest art museums in the world . The museum collects , preserves , and displays a comprehensive collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia , with a focus on ancient and medieval Japanese art and Asian art along the Silk Road . There is also a large collection of Greco-Buddhist art . The museum holds over 110,000 objects , including 87 National Treasures of Japan , 319 Horyuji Treasures , and 610 Important Cultural Properties ( as of July 2005 ) . The museum also conducts research and organizes educational events related to its collection . The facilities consist of the Honkan , holding the Japanese Gallery ; the Heiseikan and Hyokeikan , holding special exhibitions ; the Toyokan , holding the Asian Gallery ; the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures , holding important relics originally preserved at Nara 's Horyu Temple ; the Kuroda Memorial Hall , holding a collection of works by Kuroda Seiki ; and the Research and Information Center . There are restaurants and shops within the museum 's premises , as well as outdoor exhibitions ( including the Kuromon ) and a garden where visitors can enjoy seasonal views .
The Spring and Autumn Annals or Chunqiu is an ancient Chinese chronicle that has been one of the core Chinese classics since ancient times . The Annals is the official chronicle of the State of Lu , and covers a 241-year period from 722 to 481 BC . It is the earliest surviving Chinese historical text to be arranged in annals form . Because it was traditionally regarded as having been compiled by Confucius ( after a claim to this effect by Mencius ) , it was included as one of the Five Classics of Chinese literature . The Annals records main events that occurred in Lu during each year , such as the accessions , marriages , deaths , and funerals of rulers , battles fought , sacrificial rituals observed , celestial phenomena considered ritually important , and natural disasters . The entries are tersely written , averaging only 10 characters per entry , and contain no elaboration on events or recording of speeches . During the Warring States period ( 475-221 BC ) , a number of commentaries to the Annals were created that attempted to elaborate on or find deeper meaning in the brief entries in the Annals . The Commentary of Zuo ( Zuo zhuan 左傳 ) , the best known of these commentaries , became a classic in its own right , and is the source of more Chinese sayings and idioms than any other classical work .
Mount Kōya ( 高野山 , Kōya-san ) is the common name of a huge temple settlement in Wakayama Prefecture to the south of Osaka . In the strict sense , Kōya-san is the so-called mountain name sangō ( 山号 ) of the Kongōbu-Temple ( 金剛峯寺 , Kongōbu-ji ) , the ecclesiastical headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon School . First settled in 819 by the monk Kūkai , Mt . Kōya is primarily known as the world headquarters of the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism . Located on an 800 m high plain amid eight peaks of the mountain ( which was the reason this location was selected , in that the terrain is supposed to resemble a lotus plant ) , the original monastery has grown into the town of Kōya , featuring a university dedicated to religious studies and 120 sub-temples , many of which offer lodging to pilgrims . The mountain is home to the following famous sites :
The Meiji era ( 明治 , Meiji , Japanese pronunciation : [ meꜜː ( d ) ʑi ] ) is an era of Japanese history which extended from October 23 , 1868 to July 30 , 1912 . This era represents the first half of the Empire of Japan , during which period the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonisation by European powers to the new paradigm of a modern , industrialised nation state and emergent great power , influenced by Western scientific , technological , philosophical , political , legal , and aesthetic ideas . As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically-different ideas , the changes to Japan were profound , and affected its social structure , internal politics , economy , military , and foreign relations . The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji and was succeeded upon the accession of Emperor Taishō by the Taishō era .
Kyoto ( /kiˈoʊtoʊ , ˈkjoʊtoʊ/ ; 京都 Kyōto , Japanese : [ kʲoꜜːto ] ( listen ) ) , officially Kyoto City ( 京都市 , Kyōto-shi , Japanese : [ kʲoːtoꜜɕi ] ( listen ) ) , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan . Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu , Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe . As of 2018 , the city had a population of 1.47 million . In 794 , Kyoto ( then known as Heian-kyō ) was chosen as the new seat of Japan 's imperial court . The Emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869 , when the court relocated to Tokyo . The city was devastated during the Ōnin War in the 15th century and went into an extended period of decline , but gradually revived under the Tokugawa shogunate ( 1600-1868 ) and flourished as a major city in Japan . The modern municipality of Kyoto was established in 1889 . The city was spared from large-scale destruction during World War II and as a result , its prewar cultural heritage has mostly been preserved . Kyoto is considered the cultural capital of Japan and a major tourist destination . It is home to numerous Buddhist temples , Shinto shrines , palaces and gardens , many of which are listed collectively by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site . Prominent landmarks include the Kyoto Imperial Palace , Kiyomizu-dera , Kinkaku-ji , Ginkaku-ji and the Katsura Imperial Villa . Kyoto is also a center of higher learning , with Kyoto University being an institution of international renown .
The Book of Han or History of the Former Han is a history of China finished in 111 , covering the Western , or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE . It is also called the Book of Former Han . The work was composed by Ban Gu ( AD 32-92 ) , a court official , with the help of his sister Ban Zhao , continuing the work of their father , Ban Biao . They modeled their work on the Records of the Grand Historian , a universal history , but theirs was the first in this annals-biography form to cover a single dynasty . It is the best source , sometimes the only one , for many topics in this period . A second work , the Book of the Later Han covers the Eastern Han period from 25 to 220 , and was composed in the fifth century by Fan Ye ( 398-445 ) .
Sima Xiangru ( pronounced [ sɨ́.mà ɕjáŋ.ɻǔ ] , Chinese : 司馬相如 ; c. 179 - 117 BC ) was a Chinese poet , writer , musician , and politician who lived during the Western Han dynasty . Sima is a significant figure in the history of Classical Chinese poetry , and is generally regarded as the greatest of all composers of Chinese fu rhapsodies . His poetry includes his invention or at least development of the fu form , applying new metrical rhythms to the lines of poetry , which he mixed with lines of prose , and provided with several of what would in ensuing centuries become among a group of common set topics for this genre . Sima Xiangru was also versatile enough to write in the Chu ci style , while it was enjoying a renaissance , and he also wrote lyrics in what would become known as the yuefu formal style .
Emperor Huizong of Song ( 7 June 1082 - 4 June 1135 ) , personal name Zhao Ji , was the eighth emperor of the Song dynasty in China . He was also a very well-known calligrapher . Born as the 11th son of Emperor Shenzong , he ascended the throne in 1100 upon the death of his elder brother and predecessor , Emperor Zhezong , because Emperor Zhezong 's only son died prematurely . He lived in luxury , sophistication and art in the first half of his life . In 1126 , when the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty invaded the Song dynasty during the Jin-Song Wars , Emperor Huizong abdicated and passed on his throne to his eldest son , Zhao Huan who assumed the title Emperor Qinzong while Huizong assumed the honorary title of Taishang Huang ( or Retired Emperor ) . The following year , the Song capital , Bianjing , was conquered by Jin forces in an event historically known as the Jingkang Incident . Emperor Huizong , along with Emperor Qinzong and the rest of their family , were taken captive by the Jurchens and brought back to the Jin capital , Huining Prefecture in 1128 . The Jurchen ruler , Emperor Taizong of Jin , gave the former Emperor Huizong a title , Duke Hunde ( literally Besotted Duke ) , to humiliate him . After his surviving son , Zhao Gou , declared himself as the dynasty 's tenth emperor as Emperor Gaozong , the Jurchens used him , Qinzong , and other imperial family members to put pressure on Gaozong and his court to surrender . Emperor Huizong died in Wuguo after spending about nine years in captivity . Despite his incompetence in rulership , Emperor Huizong was known for his promotion of Taoism and talents in poetry , painting , calligraphy and music . He sponsored numerous artists at his imperial court , and the catalogue of his collection listed over 6,000 known paintings .
Emperor Gaozong of Song ( 12 June 1107 - 9 November 1187 ) , personal name Zhao Gou , courtesy name Deji , was the tenth emperor of the Song dynasty in China and the first emperor of the Southern Song dynasty . He was the ninth son of Emperor Huizong and a younger half-brother of Emperor Qinzong . In 1127 , during the wars between the Song dynasty and Jurchen-led Jin dynasty , the Song capital Bianjing ( present-day Kaifeng ) fell to Jin forces in an event historically known as the Jingkang Incident . Emperors Huizong and Qinzong were taken prisoner by the Jurchens , while Zhao Gou managed to escape to southern China . He reestablished the Song dynasty ( as the Southern Song dynasty ) in Lin'an ( present-day Hangzhou ) and was proclaimed emperor . He reigned from 1127 until 1162 , when he abdicated the throne in favour of his adopted son Zhao Shen ( Emperor Xiaozong ) , and became a Taishang Huang ( Retired Emperor ) until his death in 1187 . He was a capable ruler who brought stability to the Song but was criticized by his reputation of sentencing his court members with trumped-up charges including Yue Fei , whom he executed . He was the last descendant of Emperor Taizong to become emperor ; subsequent Song emperors were descendants of Emperor Taizu .
Regular script ( traditional Chinese : 楷書 ; simplified Chinese : 楷书 ; pinyin : kǎishū ; Hepburn : kaisho ) , also called 正楷 ( pinyin : zhèngkǎi ) , 真書 ( zhēnshū ) , 楷體 ( kǎitǐ ) and 正書 ( zhèngshū ) , is the newest of the Chinese script styles ( appearing by the Cao Wei dynasty c. 200 CE and maturing stylistically around the 7th century ) , hence most common in modern writings and publications ( after the Ming and gothic styles , used exclusively in print ) . [ clarification needed ]
The Song dynasty ( Chinese : 宋朝 ; pinyin : Sòng cháo ; 960-1279 ) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279 . The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou , ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period . The Song often came into conflict with the contemporaneous Liao , Western Xia and Jin dynasties to its north . It was eventually conquered by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty . The Song government was the first in world history to issue banknotes or true paper money nationally and the first Chinese government to establish a permanent standing navy . This dynasty also saw the first known use of gunpowder , as well as the first discernment of true north using a compass . The Song dynasty is divided into two distinct periods : Northern Song and Southern Song . During the Northern Song ( Chinese : 北宋 ; 960-1127 ) , the Song capital was in the northern city of Bianjing ( now Kaifeng ) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now Eastern China . The Southern Song ( Chinese : 南宋 ; 1127-1279 ) refers to the period after the Song lost control of its northern half to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in the Jin-Song Wars . During this time , the Song court retreated south of the Yangtze and established its capital at Lin'an ( now Hangzhou ) . Although the Song dynasty had lost control of the traditional birthplace of Chinese civilization along the Yellow River , the Song economy was still strong , as the Southern Song empire contained a large population and productive agricultural land . The Southern Song dynasty considerably bolstered its naval strength to defend its waters and land borders and to conduct maritime missions abroad .
The Agency for Cultural Affairs ( 文化庁 , bunkachō ) is a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education , Culture , Sports , Science and Technology ( MEXT ) . It was set up in 1968 to promote Japanese arts and culture . The agency 's budget for FY 2018 rose to ¥107.7 billion . The agency 's Cultural Affairs Division disseminated information about the arts within Japan and internationally , and the Cultural Properties Protection Division protected the nation 's cultural heritage . The Cultural Affairs Division is concerned with such areas as art and culture promotion , art copyrights , and improvements in the national language . It also supports both national and local arts and cultural festivals , and it funds traveling cultural events in music , theater , dance , art exhibitions , and film-making . Special prizes are offered to encourage young artists and established practitioners , and some grants are given each year to enable them to train abroad . The agency funds national museums of modern art in Kyoto and Tokyo and The National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo , which exhibit both Japanese and international shows . The agency also supports the Japan Art Academy , which honors eminent persons of arts and letters , appointing them to membership and offering ￥3.5 million in prize money . Awards are made in the presence of the Emperor , who personally bestows the highest accolade , the Order of Culture . In 1989 , for the first time two women - a writer and a costume designer - were nominated for the Order of Cultural Merit , another official honor carrying the same stipend . The Cultural Properties Protection Division originally was established to oversee restorations after World War II .
The Book of Rites , also known as the Liji , is a collection of texts describing the social forms , administration , and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods . The Book of Rites , along with the Rites of Zhou ( Zhōulǐ ) and the Book of Etiquette and Rites ( Yílǐ ) , which are together known as the Three Li ( Sānlǐ ) , constitute the ritual ( lǐ ) section of the Five Classics which lay at the core of the traditional Confucian canon ( Each of the five classics is a group of works rather than a single text ) . As a core text of the Confucian canon , it is also known as the Classic of Rites or Lijing , which some scholars believe was the original title before it was changed by Dai Sheng .
Waseda University ( 早稲田大学 , Waseda Daigaku ) , abbreviated as Sōdai ( 早大 ) , is a Japanese private research university in Shinjuku , Tokyo . Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō by Ōkuma Shigenobu , the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902 . Waseda is organized into thirty-six departments : thirteen undergraduate schools and twenty-three graduate schools . As of May 2016 , there were 42,860 undergraduate students and 8,269 graduate students . In addition to a central campus in Shinjuku , the university operates campuses in Chūō , Nishitōkyō , Tokorozawa , Honjō , and Kitakyūshū . Waseda also operates twenty-one research institutes at its main Shinjuku campus . The Waseda University Library is collectively one of the largest libraries in Japan and currently hold some 4.5 million volumes and 46,000 serials . Waseda consistently ranks among the most academically selective and prestigious universities in Japanese university rankings . It is often ranked alongside Keio University , its rival , as the best private university in Japan . In 2015-2016 , Waseda ranked 212th in the QS World University Rankings . Waseda is among the top type of the select Japanese universities assigned additional funding under the MEXT 's Top Global University Project to enhance Japan 's global educational competitiveness . Waseda has graduated many notable alumni , including seven Prime Ministers of Japan , numerous important figures of Japanese literature , including Haruki Murakami , and many CEOs , including Tadashi Yanai , the CEO of UNIQLO , Nobuyuki Idei , the former CEO of Sony , Takeo Fukui , the former President and CEO of Honda , Norio Sasaki , the former CEO of Toshiba , Lee Kun-hee , the Chairman of Samsung Group , Mikio Sasaki , the former Chairman of Mitsubishi , and Hiroshi Yamauchi and Shuntaro Furukawa , former and current Presidents of Nintendo respectively .
The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution founded in the eighth-century Tang China by Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an . Membership in the academy was confined to an elite group of scholars , who performed secretarial and literary tasks for the court . One of its main duties was to decide on an interpretation of the Chinese classics . This formed the basis of the Imperial examinations , which aspiring bureaucrats had to pass to attain higher level posts . Painters working for the court were also attached to the academy .
Emperor Taizong of Tang ( 28 January 598 - 10 July 649 ) , previously Prince of Qin , personal name Li Shimin , was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China , ruling from 626 to 649 . He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty for his role in encouraging Li Yuan , his father , to rebel against the Sui dynasty at Jinyang in 617 . Taizong subsequently played a pivotal role in defeating several of the dynasty 's most dangerous opponents and solidifying its rule over China . [ c ] Taizong is typically considered to be one of the greatest emperors in China 's history and henceforth , his reign became regarded as the exemplary model against which all future emperors were measured . His era , the Reign of Zhenguan ( Chinese : 貞觀之治 ; pinyin : Zhēnguàn Zhī Zhì ) is considered a golden age in ancient Chinese history and was treated as required studying material for future crown princes . Under the Zhenguan era , Tang China flourished economically and militarily . For more than a century after his death , China enjoyed prosperity and peace brought about by the solidification of imperial protection over the Chinese regions . In territorial extent , it covered most of the territories previously held by the Han dynasty , including parts of modern Mongolia , Korea , Siberia , Vietnam , Xinjiang , and Central Asian regions as far as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan ( Samarkand ) . This era of consolidation and conquest laid the foundation for Xuanzong 's reign , which is considered to be the height of the Tang dynasty . In 630 , Emperor Taizong sent his general Li Jing against the Eastern Turks , defeating and capturing their Jiali Khan Ashina Duobi and destroying their power . This made Tang the dominant power in East and Central Asia , and Emperor Taizong subsequently took the title of Tengeri Qaghan ( Chinese : 天可汗 ; pinyin : Tiān Kěhán ; Wade-Giles : T'ien K'ehan , Tenger Khan or the God like Emperor ) . He also launched a series of campaigns against the oasis states of the Tarim Basin , and against the armies of their main ally , the Western Turks .
Chu Suiliang ( 596-658 ) , courtesy name Dengshan , formally the Duke of Henan , was a Chinese calligrapher , historian , and politician who served as a chancellor during the reigns of the emperors Taizong and Gaozong in the Tang dynasty . He became increasingly trusted by Emperor Taizong toward the end of his reign and was charged with the responsibilities of serving as the imperial historian and providing honest advice . After Emperor Taizong 's death , Chu was entrusted with the responsibilities of assisting Emperor Gaozong , along with Emperor Gaozong 's maternal uncle , Zhangsun Wuji . In 655 , over his strenuous opposition to Emperor Gaozong 's removal of his first wife , Empress Wang , and replacing her with Empress Wu ( later known as Wu Zetian ) , Chu was demoted , and that began a series of demotions , eventually to be the prefect of the extremely distant Ai Prefecture ( 愛州 , roughly modern Thanh Hóa Province , Vietnam ) . He died in exile in 658 .
Ouyang Xun ( Chinese : 歐陽詢 ; pinyin : Ōuyáng Xún ; Wade-Giles : Ou-yang Hsun ) ( 557-641 ) , courtesy name Xinben ( Chinese : 信本 ; pinyin : Xìn běn ; Wade-Giles : Hsing-pên ) , was a Chinese calligrapher , politician , and writer of the early Tang Dynasty . He was born in Hunan , Changsha , to a family of government officials ; and died in modern Anhui province .
Yu Shinan ( 558-638 ) , courtesy name Boshi , posthumously known as Duke Wenyi of Yongxing , was a Chinese official , litterateur , Confucian scholar and calligrapher who lived in the early Tang dynasty and rose to prominence during the reign of Emperor Taizong . His uncle , Yu Ji ( 虞寄 ) , also served in the Tang imperial court as an Imperial Secretary . He is regarded as one of the four greatest calligraphers in the early Tang dynasty along with Ouyang Xun , Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji , and one of the more famous ones in the history of Chinese calligraphy . Emperor Taizong once mentioned that Yu Shinan was a man of five absolute merits .
The Heian period ( 平安時代 , Heian jidai ) is the last division of classical Japanese history , running from 794 to 1185 . The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō , or modern Kyōto . It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism , Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height . The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art , especially poetry and literature . Although the Imperial House of Japan had power on the surface , the real power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan , a powerful aristocratic family who had intermarried with the imperial family . Many emperors actually had mothers from the Fujiwara family . Heian ( 平安 ) means peace in Japanese .
Ōsu Kannon ( 大須観音 ) is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect located in Ōsu , in central Nagoya , Japan . It belongs to the Owari Thirty-three Kannon .
Nagoya ( 名古屋 ) is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan . It is Japan 's fourth-largest incorporated city and the third-most-populous urban area . It is located on the Pacific coast on central Honshu . It is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan 's major ports along with those of Tokyo , Osaka , Kobe , Yokohama , Chiba , and Kitakyushu . It is also the center of Japan 's third-largest metropolitan region , known as the Chūkyō metropolitan area . As of 1 October 2019 [ update ] , 2,327,557 people lived in the city , part of Chūkyō Metropolitan Area 's 10.11 million people . It is also one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world .
Aichi Prefecture ( 愛知県 , Aichi-ken , Japanese pronunciation : [ aitɕi̥ꜜkeɴ ] ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū . Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 ( 1 October 2019 ) and a geographic area of 5,172.92 km² ( 1,997.28 sq mi ) with a population density of 1,460 persons per km² . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west , Gifu Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture to the north , and Shizuoka Prefecture to the east . Nagoya is the capital and largest city of Aichi Prefecture , and the fourth-largest city in Japan , with other major cities including Toyota , Okazaki , and Ichinomiya . Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya form the core of the Chūkyō metropolitan area , the third-largest metropolitan area in Japan and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world . Aichi Prefecture is located on Japan 's Pacific Ocean coast and forms part of the Tōkai region , a subregion of the Chūbu region and Kansai region . Aichi Prefecture is home to the Toyota Motor Corporation , the world 's largest automotive manufacturer , the largest listed company in Japan by market capitalization , and sixth-largest company in the world by revenue , with its headquarters in the city of Toyota . Aichi Prefecture features the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens , Chubu Centrair International Airport , and Legoland Japan Resort .
The Yupian ( Chinese : 玉篇 ; pinyin : Yùpiān ; Wade-Giles : Yü-p'ien ; Jade Chapters ) is a c. 543 Chinese dictionary edited by Gu Yewang ( 顧野王 ; Ku Yeh-wang ; 519-581 ) during the Liang dynasty . It arranges 12,158 character entries under 542 radicals , which differ somewhat from the original 540 in the Shuowen Jiezi . Each character entry gives a fanqie pronunciation gloss and a definition , with occasional annotation . The Yupian is a significant work in the history of Written Chinese . It is the first major extant dictionary in the four centuries since the completion of Shuowen and records thousands of new characters that had been introduced into the language in the interim . It is also important for documenting nonstandard súzì ( 俗字 , popular written forms of characters ) , many of which were adopted in the 20th century as official simplified Chinese characters . For instance , the Yupian records that wàn ( traditional 萬 , ten thousand , myriad ) had a popular form of ( simplified 万 ) , which is much easier to write with three strokes versus thirteen ( Creamer 1992 : 116 ) . Baxter describes the textual history :
Kōzan-ji ( 高山寺 ) , officially Toganōsan Kōsan-ji ( 栂尾山高山寺 ) , is a Buddhist temple of the Omuro sect of Shingon Buddhism in Umegahata Toganōchō , Ukyō Ward , Kyoto , Japan . Kōzan-ji is also known as Kōsan-ji and Toganō-dera . The temple was founded by the Shingon scholar and monk Myōe ( 1173 - 1232 ) and is renowned for its numerous national treasures and important cultural properties . The Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga , a group of ink paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries , are among the most important treasures of Kōzan-ji . The temple celebrates Biyakkōshin , Zenmyōshin and Kasuga Myōjin , as well as the temple 's tutelary Shintō deity . In 1994 , it was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto .
Ishiyama-dera ( 石山寺 , Stony Mountain Temple ) is a Shingon temple in Ōtsu in Japan 's Shiga Prefecture . This temple is the thirteenth of the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage .
Ōtsu ( 大津市 , Ōtsu-shi ) is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture , Japan . Ōtsu is known as the main port of Lake Biwa , the largest lake in Japan . It briefly served as the capital of Japan from 667 to 672 AD during the Asuka period ( 538 - 710 ) . The city is home to numerous sites of historical importance , notably the temples of Mii-dera , Ishiyama-dera , and Enryaku-ji and the Hiyoshi Taisha shrine . Enryaku-ji is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto ( Kyoto , Uji and Otsu Cities ) . Ōtsu was incorporated as a town on April 1 , 1889 . In October 1 , 1898 , Ōtsu-town was officially changed to Ōtsu-city . As of October 1 , 2017 , the city has an estimated population of 341,187 and a population density of 730 persons per km2 . The total area is 464.51 km2 ( 179 sq mi ) .
Shiga Prefecture ( 滋賀県 , Shiga-ken ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu . Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 ( 1 October 2015 ) and has a geographic area of 4,017 km² ( 1,551 sq mi ) . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north , Gifu Prefecture to the northeast , Mie Prefecture to the southeast , and Kyoto Prefecture to the west . Ōtsu is the capital and largest city of Shiga Prefecture , with other major cities including Kusatsu , Nagahama , and Higashiōmi . Shiga Prefecture encircles Lake Biwa , the largest freshwater lake in Japan , and 37% of the total land area is designated as Natural Parks , the highest of any prefecture . Shiga Prefecture 's southern half is located adjacent to the former capital city of Kyoto and forms part of Greater Kyoto , the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Japan . Shiga Prefecture is home to Ōmi beef , the Eight Views of Ōmi , and Hikone Castle , one of four national treasure castles in Japan .
The Book of Documents ( Shūjīng , earlier Shu-king ) or Classic of History , also known as the Shangshu ( Esteemed Documents ) , is one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature . It is a collection of rhetorical prose attributed to figures of ancient China , and served as the foundation of Chinese political philosophy for over 2,000 years . The Book of Documents was the subject of one of China 's oldest literary controversies , between proponents of different versions of the text . The New Text version was preserved from Qin Shi Huang 's burning of books and burying of scholars by scholar Fu Sheng . The longer Old Text version was supposedly discovered in the wall of Confucius ' family estate in Qufu by his descendant Kong Anguo in the late 2nd century BC , lost at the end of the Han dynasty and rediscovered in the 4th century AD . Over time , the Old Text version of the Documents became more widely accepted , until it was established as the imperially sanctioned edition during the early Tang dynasty . This continued until the late 17th century , when the Qing dynasty scholar Yan Ruoqu demonstrated that the additional Old Text chapters not contained in the New Text version were actually fabrications reconstructed in the 3rd or 4th centuries AD . The chapters are grouped into four sections representing different eras : the semi-mythical reign of Yu the Great , and the Xia , Shang and Zhou dynasties . The Zhou section accounts for over half the text . Some of its New Text chapters are among the earliest examples of Chinese prose , recording speeches from the early years of the Zhou dynasty in the late 11th century BC . Although the other three sections purport to record earlier material , most scholars believe that even the New Text chapters in these sections were composed later than those in the Zhou section , with chapters relating to the earliest periods being as recent as the 4th or 3rd centuries BC .
The Tōyō Bunko ( 東洋文庫 ) , or Oriental Library , is Japan 's largest Asian studies library and one of the world 's five largest , located in Tokyo . It also functions as a research institute dedicated to the study of Asian history and culture . It has greatly contributed to the development of Asian Studies through the acquisition of books and other source materials as well as the publication of research by Japanese scholars . Presently , the library contains approximately 950,000 volumes which are cataloged linguistically according to Asian , Western and Japanese language materials .
Shuowen Jiezi ( Chinese : 說文解字 ; literally : 'Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters ' ) was an early-2nd-century Chinese dictionary from the Han Dynasty . Although not the first comprehensive Chinese character dictionary ( the Erya predates it ) , it was the first to analyze the structure of the characters and to give the rationale behind them , as well as the first to use the principle of organization by sections with shared components , called radicals ( bùshǒu 部首 , lit . section headers ) .
Naitō Torajirō ( Japanese : 内藤 虎次郎 , August 27 , 1866 - June 26 , 1934 ) , commonly known as Naitō Konan ( 内藤 湖南 ) , was a Japanese historian and Sinologist . He was the founder of the Kyoto School of historiography , and along with Shiratori Kurakichi ( the founder of the Tokyo School ) , was one of the leading Japanese historians of East Asia in the early twentieth century . His most well-known book is called Nara .
Osaka ( Japanese : 大阪市 , Hepburn : Ōsaka-shi , pronounced [ oːsakaɕi ] ; commonly just 大阪 , Ōsaka [ oːsaka ] ( listen ) ) is a designated city in the Kansai region of the Honshu Island in Japan . It is the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area , the second largest metropolitan area in Japan and among the largest in the world with more than 20 million inhabitants . Osaka was traditionally considered Japan 's economic hub . By the Kofun period ( 300-538 ) it had developed into an important regional port , and in the 7th and 8th centuries it served briefly as the imperial capital . Osaka continued to flourish during the Edo period ( 1603-1867 ) and became known as a center of Japanese culture . Following the Meiji Restoration , Osaka greatly expanded in size and underwent rapid industrialization . In 1889 , Osaka was officially established as a municipality . Today , Osaka is a major financial center of Japan . It is home to the Osaka Securities Exchange as well as the multinational electronics corporations Panasonic and Sharp . Famous landmarks in Osaka include Osaka Castle - which played a pivotal role in the Siege of Osaka and was featured in the 1980 American television mini-series Shogun - and Shitennō-ji - the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan .
A New Account of the Tales of the World , also known as Shishuo Xinyu or Shih-shuo Hsin-yu ( Chinese : 世說新語 ) , was compiled and edited by Liu Yiqing ( Liu I-ching ; 劉義慶 ; 403-444 ) during the Liu Song dynasty ( 420-479 ) of the Northern and Southern dynasties ( 420-589 ) . The book contains some 1,130 historical anecdotes and character sketches of some 600 literati , musicians and painters who lived in the Han and Wei-Jin periods , that is , the second through fourth centuries . Chapter 19 , for instance , has 32 stories about outstanding women . It is thus both a biographical source and a record of colloquial language . The original text of the book was divided into eight volumes of juan ( scroll ) , though current editions generally span ten volumes . Although most of the anecdotes and personalities are attested in other sources , traditional Chinese bibliographers did not classify Shishuo Xinyu as history but as minor talk ( xiao shuo ) , a term that was later used to refer to fiction . Literary historian Victor Mair comments that the bias against Tales of the World as legitimate work of history undoubtedly stemmed from its failure to subscribe to the sanctioned conventions of history enshrined in the dynastic histories and its use of lively and sometimes colloquial language . The mixture of literary and vernacular styles set the scene for the later tradition of informal Chinese literature . The 20th-century Chinese novelist Lu Xun also spoke highly of the book 's aesthetic merits . The text has been translated in full into English , with the Liang dynasty ( 502-557 ) commentary by Liu Xiaobiao ( 劉孝標 ) , in Richard B. Mather , Shih-shuo Hsin-yü : A New Account of Tales of the World .
The Han dynasty ( Chinese : 漢朝 ; pinyin : Hàncháo ) was the second imperial dynasty of China ( 206 BC-220 AD ) , preceded by the Qin dynasty ( 221-206 BC ) and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms period ( 220-280 AD ) . Spanning over four centuries , the Han period is considered a golden age in Chinese history . To this day , China 's majority ethnic group refers to themselves as the Han Chinese ( Han Zu ) and the Chinese script is referred to as Han characters . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang , known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han , and briefly interrupted by the Xin dynasty ( 9-23 AD ) of the former regent Wang Mang . This interregnum separates the Han dynasty into two periods : the Western Han or Former Han ( 206 BC - 9 AD ) and the Eastern Han or Later Han ( 25-220 AD ) . The emperor was at the pinnacle of Han society . He presided over the Han government but shared power with both the nobility and appointed ministers who came largely from the scholarly gentry class . The Han Empire was divided into areas directly controlled by the central government using an innovation inherited from the Qin known as commanderies , and a number of semi-autonomous kingdoms . These kingdoms gradually lost all vestiges of their independence , particularly following the Rebellion of the Seven States . From the reign of Emperor Wu ( r. 141-87 BC ) onward , the Chinese court officially sponsored Confucianism in education and court politics , synthesized with the cosmology of later scholars such as Dong Zhongshu . This policy endured until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 AD . The Han dynasty saw an age of economic prosperity and witnessed a significant growth of the money economy first established during the Zhou dynasty ( c. 1050-256 BC ) .
The Jin dynasty or the Jin Empire ( /dʒɪn/ ; Chinese : 晉朝 ; pinyin : Jìn Cháo , sometimes distinguished as the Sima Jin ( 司馬晉 ) or Liang Jin ( 兩晉 , Two Jins ) was a Chinese dynasty traditionally dated from 266 to 420 AD . It was founded by Sima Yan , son of Sima Zhao , who was made the King of Jin and posthumously declared one of the founders of the dynasty , along with Sima Zhao 's older brother Sima Shi and father Sima Yi . It followed the Three Kingdoms period ( 220-280 AD ) , which ended with the conquest of Eastern Wu by Jin , culminating in the reunification of China . There are two main divisions in the history of the dynasty . The Western Jin ( 266-316 ) was established as a successor state to Cao Wei after Sima Yan usurped the throne and had its capital at Luoyang and later Chang'an ( modern Xi'an ) ; Western Jin reunited China in 280 but fairly shortly thereafter fell into a succession crisis , the War of the Eight Princes and suffered from the invasions instigated by the Five Barbarians ( Wu Hu ) . The rebels and invaders began to establish new self-proclaimed states along the Yellow River valley in 304 , inaugurating the Sixteen Kingdoms era . These states immediately began fighting each other and the Jin Empire , leading to the second division of the dynasty , the Eastern Jin ( 317-420 ) , when Sima Rui moved the capital to Jiankang ( modern Nanjing ) . The Eastern Jin dynasty was eventually overthrown by Liu Yu and replaced with the Liu Song in 420 .
Tō-ji ( 東寺 , Tō-ji ) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Minami-ku ward of Kyoto , Japan . Founded in 796 , it was one of the only three Buddhist temples allowed in the city at the time it became the capital of Japan . As such it has a long history , housing treasures and documents from the early Heian period and the Tang dynasty , and with buildings in its complex covering the Kamakura , Muromachi , Momoyama , and Edo periods . Five of these buildings have been designated National Treasures in two different categories : the Lotus Flower Gate ( rengemon ) , the Miei Hall ( mieidō ) , the Golden Hall ( kondō ) and the five-storied Pagoda ( gojūnotō ) ( temple buildings ) and the Kanchiin Guest Hall ( kanchiin kyakuden ) ( residences ) . Tō-ji was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 , as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto .
The Kyoto National Museum ( 京都国立博物館 , Kyōto Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan ) is one of the major art museums in Japan . Located in Kyoto 's Higashiyama ward , the museum focuses on pre-modern Japanese and Asian art .
Itami ( Japanese : 伊丹市 , romanized : Itami-shi , lit . 'Itami City ' ) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture , Japan . As of May 2018 , [ update ] the city had an estimated population of 197,335 and a population density of 7,865/km2 ( 20,370/sq mi ) . The total area is 25.09 km2 ( 9.69 sq mi ) . Itami sits on the Hankyū Itami Line and the JR Takarazuka Line ( also known as the Fukuchiyama Line ) .
Hyōgo Prefecture ( 兵庫県 , Hyōgo-ken ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu . Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 ( 1 June 2019 ) and has a geographic area of 8,400 km² ( 3,243 sq mi ) . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east , Osaka Prefecture to the southeast , and Okayama Prefecture and Tottori Prefecture to the west . Kōbe is the capital and largest city of Hyōgo Prefecture , and the sixth-largest city in Japan , with other major cities including Himeji , Nishinomiya , and Amagasaki . Hyōgo Prefecture 's mainland stretches from the Sea of Japan to the Seto Inland Sea , where Awaji Island and a small archipelago of islands belonging to the prefecture are located . Hyōgo Prefecture is a major economic center , transportation hub , and tourist destination in western Japan , with 20% of the prefecture 's land area was designated as Natural Parks . Hyōgo Prefecture forms part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area , the second-most-populated urban region in Japan after the Greater Tokyo area and one of the world 's most productive regions by GDP .
The Classic of Poetry , also Shijing or Shih-ching ( Chinese : 詩經 ; pinyin : Shījīng ) , translated variously as the Book of Songs , Book of Odes or simply known as the Odes or Poetry ( Chinese : 詩 ; pinyin : Shī ) , is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry , comprising 305 works dating from the 11th to 7th centuries BC . It is one of the Five Classics traditionally said to have been compiled by Confucius , and has been studied and memorized by scholars in China and neighboring countries over two millennia . It is also a rich source of chengyu ( four-character classical idioms ) that are still a part of learned discourse and even everyday language in modern Chinese . Since the Qing dynasty , its rhyme patterns have also been analysed in the study of Old Chinese phonology .
Karma ( /ˈkɑːrmə/ ; Sanskrit : कर्म , romanized : karma , IPA : [ ˈkɐɽmɐ ] ( listen ) ; Pali : kamma ) means action , work or deed ; it also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual ( cause ) influence the future of that individual ( effect ) . Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths , while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and bad rebirths . The philosophy of karma is closely associated with the idea of rebirth in many schools of Indian religions ( particularly Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Sikhism ) as well as Taoism . In these schools , karma in the present affects one 's future in the current life , as well as the nature and quality of future lives - one 's saṃsāra .
Kūkai ( 空海 ) , also known posthumously as Kōbō-Daishi ( 弘法大師 , The Grand Master Who Propagated the Buddhist Teaching ) , 774-835 , was a Japanese Buddhist monk , civil servant , scholar , poet , and artist who founded the Esoteric Shingon or mantra school of Buddhism . Shingon followers usually refer to him by the honorific title of Odaishisama ( お大師様 ) and the religious name of Henjō-Kongō ( 遍照金剛 ) . Kūkai is famous as a calligrapher and engineer . In legend he is attributed with the invention of the kana syllabary , with which the Japanese language is written to this day ( in combination with kanji ) , as well as the Iroha poem , which helped to standardise and popularise kana .
Commonly abbreviated as Nihon Ryōiki , which means Ghostly Strange Records from Japan , the full title is Nihonkoku Genpō Zen'aku Ryōiki ( 日本国現報善悪霊異記 ) . It may also be read as Nihon Reiiki . The book has been translated into English under the title Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition , but this does not represent a literal translation of the Japanese title .
A scroll ( from the Old French escroe or escroue ) , also known as a roll , is a roll of papyrus , parchment , or paper containing writing .
The guqin ( [ kùtɕʰǐn ] ( listen ) ; Chinese : 古琴 ) is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family . It has been played since ancient times , and has traditionally been favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement , as highlighted by the quote a gentleman does not part with his qin or se without good reason , as well as being associated with the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius . It is sometimes referred to by the Chinese as the father of Chinese music or the instrument of the sages . The guqin is not to be confused with the guzheng , another Chinese long zither also without frets , but with moveable bridges under each string . Traditionally , the instrument was simply referred to as the qin ( 琴 ) but by the twentieth century the term had come to be applied to many other musical instruments as well : the yangqin hammered dulcimer , the huqin family of bowed string instruments , and the Western piano are examples of this usage . The prefix gu- ( 古 ; meaning ancient ) was later added for clarification . Thus , the instrument is called guqin today . It can also be called qixian-qin ( 七絃琴 ; lit . seven-stringed zither ) . Because Robert Hans van Gulik 's book about the qin is called The Lore of the Chinese Lute , the guqin is sometimes inaccurately called a lute . Other incorrect classifications , mainly from music compact discs , include harp or table-harp . The guqin is a very quiet instrument , with a range of about four octaves , and its open strings are tuned in the bass register .