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List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents)

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List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents)
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The term "National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897.[1][2] The definition and the criteria have changed since the introduction of the term. These ancient documents adhere to the current definition, and have been designated National Treasures since the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties came into effect on June 9, 1951. The items are selected by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a special body of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, based on their "especially high historical or artistic value".[3][4] "Ancient documents" is one of thirteen categories of National Treasures recognized by the agency. The list presents 63 documents or sets of documents from classical to early modern Japan, from the Asuka period to the Meiji period. The actual number of items is more than 63 because groups of related objects have been combined into single entries. The list contains items of various types, such as letters, diaries, records or catalogues, certificates, imperial decrees, testaments and maps. The documents record early Japanese government and Buddhism including early Japanese contact with China, the organization of the state and life at the Japanese imperial court. They are housed in 14 Japanese cities in temples (35), museums (13), libraries or archives (6), shrines (4), universities (2) and in private collections (2). Most entries (28) in the list are located in Kyoto. The documents in this list were made predominantly with a writing brush on paper and, in many cases, present important examples of calligraphy.[4]

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Part of the ordination certificate of Enchin from 833

Writing was physically introduced to Japan from China in the form of inscribed artifacts at the beginning of the Christian era. Examples, some of which have been designated as archaeological National Treasures, include coins of the reign of Wang Mang (AD 8–25), a 1st-century gold seal from Shikanoshima, a late 2nd century iron sword from the Tōdaijiyama burial mound, the Seven-Branched Sword with inscription from 369 and a large number of bronze mirrors—the oldest dating to the 3rd century.[5][6][7] All of these artifacts originated on the continent, most likely in China. However, the written inscriptions on them may not have been recognized as writing but instead may have been mistaken for decorations by the Japanese.[5] When the Japanese later manufactured locally copies of original Chinese mirrors, they may have continued to believe the written inscriptions to be merely decorative.[8][9]

The concept of writing came to Japan from the Korean kingdom of Baekje in the form of classical Chinese books likely written on paper and in the form of manuscript rolls (kansubon).[5][10] This probably happened at the beginning of the 5th century (around 400), and certainly during the 6th century.[10][11] According to legend, the scholar Wani introduced the Chinese writing system as well as Confucianism to Japan.[10] The oldest texts of Japanese origin, which show a clear understanding of the concept of writing, date to the 5th century and are—like most texts from before 700—inscriptions on stone or metal.[12] Examples include three archaeological National Treasures: Suda Hachiman Shrine Mirror from about the 5th century, which is a poor copy of a Chinese original, the Inariyama Sword from 471 or 531 and the Eta Funayama burial mound sword from about the 5th century.[13][14] The abrupt transition from an unfamiliarity with writing to reading and writing complicated works in a foreign language required the earliest Japanese texts be composed and read by people from the continent such as Wani.[10] The Inariyama Sword is also the oldest example of man'yōgana use, a writing system that employs Chinese characters to represent the Japanese language.[15] Soon after the introduction of writing, scribes were appointed to the provinces to "record events and report conditions".[16][17]

While writing in Japan was limited during the 5th and 6th centuries, the number of documents written locally increased in the 7th century; though most of them have been lost.[11][18] By the end of the 7th century, increased cultural dependence on China caused reading and writing, particularly in government and religion, to become an integral part of Japanese life.[18] There were two major factors for this development: starting with the Taika Reforms (645–649) and continuing with the Asuka Kiyomihara Code (689) and censuses from 670 and 690, a Chinese-style centralized state was formed, requiring the need for a large number of officials who were literate and educated in, among others, Confucian texts at the Daigakuryo ("University") founded under Emperor Tenchi.[18] The second factor was the increasing popularity of Buddhism, which had been introduced to Japan in the mid-6th century and strongly promoted by Prince Shōtoku (574–622).[18] The Sangyō Gisho ("Annotated Commentaries on the Three Sutras"), traditionally attributed to Prince Shōtoku, is the oldest extant Japanese text of any length.[19] Buddhism required the study of sutras written in Chinese, and the state founded a Sutra Copying Bureau (shakyōjo) before 727.[nb 1][18] The oldest Japanese books are two chronicles, Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, from the early 8th century. While the phonogram orthography enjoyed increasing popularity during the 8th century, it was not yet used for longer prose. The modern kana, notably hiragana and katakana were developed in the Heian period.[20]

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Statistics

Almost half of all entries in the list are located in Kyoto.

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Map showing the location of ancient document National Treasures in Japan
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More information Period, National Treasures ...
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Usage

The table's columns (except for Content and Images) are sortable pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works.

  • Name: the name as registered in the Database of National Cultural Properties[4]
  • Author: name of the author(s)
  • Content: information about the type of document and its content
  • Date: period and year; The column entries sort by year. If only a period is known, they sort by the start year of that period.
  • Format: principal type, technique and dimensions; The column entries sort by the main type: scroll (includes handscrolls and letters), collection (sets of items) and other (includes textiles, hanging scrolls, stone inscriptions and folding books 帖)
  • Present location: "building-name temple/museum/shrine-name town-name prefecture-name"; The column entries sort as "prefecture-name town-name".
  • Image: picture of the document or of a characteristic document in a group of documents
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Treasures

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See also

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Probably much before this date.
  2. [N 2]
    Only the oldest period is counted, if a National Treasure consists of items from more than one period.
  3. [N 3]
    33 document boxes are attached to the nomination.
  4. [N 4]
    A survey document (海部氏勘注系図) of one rolled scroll is attached to the nomination.
  5. [N 5]
    The eight rolled scrolls are:
    1. Letter written by Enchin (円珍自筆書状, enchin jihitsu shojō), 31.2–56.1 cm (12.3–22.1 in)
    2. Enchin's ordination Document (円珍戒牒, enchin kaichō), 29.3–192.0 cm (11.5–75.6 in)
    3. Document Issued by the Ministry of Civil Administration Notifying the Appointment of Enchin as Attendant Monk (円珍充内供奉治部省牒, enchin jūnai gubu jibu shōchō), 29.4–139.1 cm (11.6–54.8 in)
    4. Certificate Issued by Government Headquarters in Dazaifu for Enchin (円珍大宰府公験, enchin dazaifu kugen), 31.2–56.1 cm (12.3–22.1 in), 27.8–39.3 cm (10.9–15.5 in)
    5. Certificates Issued by Fuzhou for Enchin (円珍福州公験, enchin fukushū kugen), 31.2–56.1 cm (12.3–22.1 in), 30.5–134.0 cm (12.0–52.8 in)
    6. Official Documents Issued by Taizhou and Wenzhou (円珍台州温州公験, enchin taishū unshū kugen), 30.0–338 cm (11.8–133.1 in)
    7. Official Request from Sanuki Province (讃岐国司解, sanuki no kokushinoge), 30.3–266 cm (11.9–104.7 in)
    8. Request from the Ōtomo Clan (大友氏屈請, ōtomoshi kusshō), 29.6–48.4 cm (11.7–19.1 in)
  6. [N 6]
    A one rolled scroll imperial letter by Emperor Go-Uda on the endowment of temple properties is attached to the nomination.
  7. [N 7]
    One bound registration book (南禅寺領諸国所々紛失御判物帖) is attached to the nomination.
  8. [N 8]
    Attached to the nomination are an excerpt of the history of an enshrinement hall (御堂御記抄) consisting of five rolled scrolls and one hanging scroll; and an inventory of an enshrinement hall (御堂御暦記目録) consisting of one single-sheet letter.
  9. [N 9]
    Attached to the nomination is a donation letter from June 21, 1341.
  10. [N 10]
    Attached to the nomination are a donation and an escort letter.
  11. [N 11]
    Attached to the nomination is one hanging scroll of a letter by Shukaku Hosshinnō (守覚法親王)
  12. [N 12]
    Attached to the nomination are 325 bound double-leaved (袋とじ, fukuro-toji) books or fourteen copies of a chronological record of successive generations and three covered containers.
  13. [N 13]
    One rolled scroll, Origin and history of the construction of Seigan-ji (誓願寺建立縁起, seigan-ji kenritsu engi) is attached to the nomination.
  14. [N 14]
    1. Six documents related to his secular surname (family tree) and priestly rank
    2. Five documents related to his trip to China (peaceful prayer and correspondence)
    3. Five catalogues of sacred books and sutras obteined in China
    4. Ten documents related to teaching Buddhism
    5. Eight sacred books collected in China
    6. Three documents in his own handwriting
    7. Nine dated and signed messages
  15. [N 15]
    Attached to the nomination are 94 document boxes donated by Maeda Tsunanori in 1685.
  16. [N 16]
    Attached to the nomination is one hanging scroll by Konoe Iehiro.
  17. [N 17]
    Attached to the nomination are one scroll of a supplementary manuscript, and 10 pages of the former binding mounted on one rolled scroll.
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References

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