Almost every aspect of life in early Japan was affected by disease - Essay Example

Almost every aspect of life in early Japan was affected by disease Japan is island country lying off the east coast of Asia, consisting of a great string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through the western North Pacific Ocean. Archaeological findings suggest people were living on the islands of Japan since the upper Paleolithic period. Following the last ice-age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human development.

The early Japanese society is classified into different periods. The years, 550 – 950 CE, spans the Asuka, Nara, and Heian periods. Characteristic of human society, diseases affects socio-economic and political development of these periods through a number of factors that are directly or indirectly related. The presence of an epidemic adversely affects the workforce of the society, creating economic hardship. Furthermore, long-term persistence of epidemic in a society also depletes the society of its warriors and ultimately weakens its political structure.

The effects of diseases and epidemic on the early Japanese society inclusive of the years 550 – 950 CE will be discussed. The direct and indirect ways epidemic plays on the economic, political, social and religious life of Japanese of the Asuka, Nara, and Heian periods will be discussed. Political, socio-economic, and religious life in 550 – 950 CE Japan The Asuka period spanned 538 to 710 CE and during this period, the Japanese Yamayo policy gradually evolved into a centralized state. During this period, Buddhism was introduced into Japan from China, replacing the practice of large kofun and the traditional Confucianism.

This period saw the codification of governing laws such as the Taika Reforms and Taiho Code. Following the death of the emperor, the imperial capital was moved to Nara in A.D. 710. This marks the beginning of the Nara period (710-94), a period portrayed as a golden age since economic and administrative activity increased. With the powers of an absolute monarchy, traditional political and economic practices were now organized through a rationally structured government apparatus with legally define functions and precedents.

With the help of efficiently collected tax and support of a powerful new aristocracy, the government built great public works, including government offices, temples, roads, and irrigation systems. Unfortunately, this golden era was marred by factional fighting at the imperial court and constant struggle between the imperial family and the Buddhist clergy as well as the regents. Towards the end of this period financial burden of the state increased. The Heian period, which lasted from 794 to 1185 CE, was the final period of classical Japanese history.

It is considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and reputed for its art, especially its poetry and literature. The period was characterized by strong political differences with China following the decline of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and a civil war between the clans. Effects of long-term epidemic on the political, socio-economic and religious life of Japanese of 550 – 950 CE Prior to the Asuka period, Confucianism was the religion of the political class. The embrace of Buddhism during this period and beyond was the outcome of long-term economic hardship imposed by diseases and epidemic as well as economic pressure.

Buddhism preaches self-denial as a mean of achieving a more perfect afterlife. By surviving on very little willingly, a person not only can escape more diseases and epidemic, but also live in a culture that has very little food to share. Thus the embrace of Buddhism in early Japanese society in the 550 – 950 CE was as a result of long-term epidemic. Long term epidemic and diseases was responsible for the various political transitions from the Asuka period to the Nara period. Indirectly, the location of the imperial capital at Nara, thereby bringing in the Nara period was due to long-term epidemic.

The early Japanese believed that a place of death becomes polluted with diseases following a death of someone, and this according to Japanese ancient thought will ultimately lead to epidemic. Thus following the death of the emperor, the imperial capital was moved to a new location, Nara, to prevent outbreak of an epidemic. The location of the capital in Nara led to economic prosperity. A new and powerful aristocratic class emerges to support the emperor. Thus the presence of long-term epidemic indirectly led to this golden age in classical Japanese society.