Behind the Taika Reform: How Clan Politics Dominated a Millennium of Japanese History
Today, I’ll take you on a journey to understand our familiar yet enigmatic neighbor, Japan.
Why Familiar Yet Foreign?
Japan feels familiar because it shares many cultural elements with China—such as the use of Chinese characters. But it’s foreign in ways that are hard to grasp. For instance, take the end of the workday: in China, people typically go straight home, but in Japan, companies function more like patriarchal extended families. Regardless of how late or tired you are, you’re expected to go out for drinks or dinner with colleagues after work.
Dive deeper into Japan’s history, and you’ll find more contradictions. For instance, Japan highly values collectivism, yet during World War II, the army and navy fought each other tooth and nail. Similarly, while the Japanese are renowned for their attention to detail, their military intelligence towards the end of the war became wildly inaccurate, misleading everyone.
On the economic front, Japan’s experiences—both successes and pitfalls—offer invaluable lessons.
The Taika Reform: A Watershed Moment
In the mid-7th century, during China’s Sui and Tang dynasties, Japan underwent a major transformation. The reform, named after Emperor Kotoku’s era name “Taika” (Great Reform), marked a pivotal moment in Japanese history. It pushed the nation forward by leaps and bounds. Some scholars liken this to Japan advancing from the Zhou Dynasty stage to the Sui-Tang stage in one go. While this might be an exaggeration, the reform undoubtedly stands as a milestone comparable only to the Meiji Restoration 1,200 years later.
But what exactly did the Taika Reform achieve, and why was it so transformative?
Japan Before the Taika Reform
Before the reform, Japan was dominated by a kingdom called Yamato, located on Honshu—the largest of the Japanese islands. The Yamato Kingdom eventually unified most of the Japanese archipelago. However, politically, it retained a primitive clan system. Aristocratic families, linked by bloodlines, were the main political units, while commoners belonged to these families. This setup resembled China’s Zhou Dynasty.
At the top of this system was the ruler, later known as the Emperor (then called the “Great King”), whose role was symbolic, akin to the Zhou King. Unlike China’s post-Qin centralized emperors, Japan’s sovereign lacked absolute authority, being merely the most prominent among the nobles.
By the time of the Taika Reform, the imperial authority was essentially a puppet of a powerful noble family, the Soga clan. However, a group of royals and nobles, having studied China’s centralized governance system, found this intolerable. They believed Japan’s backwardness stemmed from the emperor’s lack of power.
These reformists staged a coup to overthrow the Soga clan, installed a new emperor, and initiated the Taika Reform.
The Goals of the Taika Reform
The primary objective was clear: elevate the emperor’s authority, curb the nobles’ power, and transition Japan into a centralized system akin to China’s Sui-Tang model.
Key Changes of the Taika Reform
- Political Reforms:
- Japan abolished the clan-based political system and established a new bureaucracy modeled after the Tang Dynasty. Officials were appointed directly by the emperor.
- Administrative divisions were created based on the Chinese “province-county” system, concentrating power in the central government.
- A new legal code, inspired by Tang law, formalized the roles of the emperor and nobility. The Taihō Code (701 CE) not only reinforced these changes but also officially renamed the country from “Wa” to “Japan” and defined the emperor’s title.
- Economic Reforms:
- The economic foundation of the aristocracy was weakened by nationalizing land and implementing a Tang-style equal-field system.
- Unified tax and labor systems were introduced to centralize economic control.
It’s clear that the reform was largely inspired by China. Japan essentially adopted a “wholesale Sinicization” approach, replicating Tang Dynasty governance, laws, and economic structures.
The Deeper Implications of the Taika Reform
The significance of the Taika Reform extends beyond the immediate changes. It reveals two fundamental characteristics of Japan’s political and social landscape.
1. The Challenge of Centralization
Despite the reform’s centralization goals, Japan struggled to establish a strong centralized state. This is evident in the parallels between the Taika Reform and the Meiji Restoration, 1,200 years later, which also sought to restore imperial authority.
Why has Japan historically struggled with centralization? Geography holds the key. Unlike China’s vast plains, Japan’s terrain is dominated by mountains and small, isolated plains. These geographical barriers fostered self-sufficient local economies, making it difficult for central authority to penetrate.
Additionally, as an island nation, Japan was spared the large-scale invasions that periodically swept across China, dismantling aristocratic power structures. Consequently, Japan’s local aristocracy and clans remained entrenched, creating a power dynamic resistant to central control.
While the Taika Reform succeeded in curbing the Soga clan’s dominance, it failed to eliminate aristocratic influence entirely. Bureaucratic positions were still filled by members of noble families, perpetuating “clan politics.”
2. Proactive Cultural Adaptation
Japan’s willingness to actively learn and adopt from the Tang Dynasty reflects another critical characteristic: proactive adaptation. Unlike Korea or Vietnam, Japan demonstrated remarkable initiative in reshaping its institutions.
The Taika Reform was not merely a historical turning point; it set the tone for Japan’s approach to external influence—absorbing, adapting, and integrating foreign systems to suit its needs.
