Chinese civilization, during the seventh and eighth centuries, was
transplanted to Japan on a vast scale. Nara, the new Japanese capital
(see map opposite), was built on the lavish model of Ch’ang-an. Court
society became highly sophisticated. The ability to write a good
Chinese hand, or turn a Chinese verse, was the indispensable equipment
of an educated man. The first national histories of Japan were
written--most of them in the Chinese language. Buddhism flourished.
Japanese artistic skill expressed itself in masterpieces of sculpture
and architecture, modeled on T’ang examples but individual in genius
and execution. Native Japanese poetry flowered and, in general, this
was the classic age of Japanese culture.
[Illustration: “Japanese artistic skill expressed itself in
masterpieces of sculpture ... modeled on T’ang examples.”]
In the field of government the Japanese also imitated the T’ang
system. They declared the land “nationalized”--or subject only to the
Emperor’s control. They reorganized local government, putting Imperial
officials in direct control, especially of tax revenues. In China such
officials were chosen through an examination system, so examinations
were introduced in Japan. The Emperor was now, in theory at least, the
all-powerful head of the Japanese state.