Nara Period

[Please Delete]

So, there's not enough about the Nara period around here--or anywhere. I know it is a small period, covering less than a century, but I thought we could maybe try to investigate this a little further.

Nara grows out of the quite mobile Asuka period, when Japan was really quite gung ho about adopting Chinese customs and dress, so by the time the Nara period rolls around, what is life like in Japan?

The armies were still primarily conscript, and the court clothing was Chinese. I'm going to try to see what I can find on it, but I thought I'd open this up: Anyone have a Nara persona? Ever try a Nara hou? What was life like in the provinces?


-Ii

[takadainotora]

The northern third of Honshu and the southwestern part of Kyushu weren't part of Japan yet at the beginning of Nara; they were still controlled by indigenous peoples. If you lived in the area of modern Nagoya, you were two weeks travel time from the capital and if you lived in the area of modern Tokyo, you were three weeks out. The indigenous peoples paid tribute, not taxes, like people in the provinces. The emperor regarded the emperor of China as an equal and the rulers of the kingdoms on the Korean peninsula as tributaries.
There was an elaborate census and tax system; rice was shipped to Nara in payment of taxes from central and western Kyushu, salt was shipped from western Honshu. Wakame was sent from most of the coastal provinces as was dried fish. Inland provinces paid their taxes in game, tangerines, walnuts, soybeans and sesame seeds.
[from _To the Ends of Japan_, Bruce L. Batten, U of Hawaii Press, 2003]