Biography of Prince Shôtoku
(Shôtoku Taishi go-ichidaiki, 聖徳太子御一代記)
Publisher: Jôshû-ya Jûzô
1840
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Prince
Shôtoku (574 - 622) was an imperial prince of the
Yamato court of Japan. He served as
regent for his aunt, Empress Suiko, who ruled from
592 to 628. Shôtoku’s
most important domestic achievements were the establishment of a system of
twelve court ranks in 603 and a seventeen-article constitution in 604. The constitution established a centralized
government run by those who had merit, rather than those with inherited
positions. The prince’s chief
achievement in foreign relations was the opening of relations with the Sui
dynasty (581–618) of |
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Scene: People
stopping to admire the gourd that miraculously appeared at the time of the
birth of Prince Shôtoku Robinson: S14.1 |
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Scene: Lightning
emanation from the great tree that Kawabe no Omi is
about to fell for Prince Shôtoku’s ship Robinson: S14.2 Image courtesy of Kate Zotova |
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Scene: This relic
which was presented to Soga no Umako by Shiba Tatto does not smash when hammered by the partisans of
Moriya no Omuraji Robinson: S14.3 |
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Scene: In order to
escape from Moriya who ambushed him Prince Shôtoku
vanishes into a tree on which his shadowy form appears Robinson: S14.4 Image courtesy of Richard Illing |
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Scene: Prince Shôtoku directing the attack on Moriya’s castle Robinson: S14.5 |
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“Robinson” refers to listing in
Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by
Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately published supplement. CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN
PAGE
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