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Prince Shotoku's Seventeen-Article Constitution: 'Harmony' and Horyuji

Prince Shotoku (574–622), regent for Empress Suiko, promulgated Japan's first written constitution — the Seventeen-Article Constitution — in 604. Its spirit of 'harmony is to be treasured' lives on today, and Horyuji, the world's oldest wooden structure, stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Horyuji and Shitennoji to feel the breath of this 1,400-year-old reform.

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Prince Shotoku (574–622), born as Prince Umayado, was appointed regent for his aunt Empress Suiko in 593 and led Japan’s first major political reforms. In 603 he established the Twelve-Level Cap and Rank system for merit-based appointments, and in 604 he promulgated the Seventeen-Article Constitution — Japan’s first written governance code, whose first article ‘Harmony is to be valued’ became a cornerstone of Japanese culture. He dispatched envoys to Sui China, authored commentaries on three Buddhist sutras, and founded Horyuji and Shitennoji temples. He is also famous for the legend that he could hear ten people speaking at once. Horyuji in Nara (founded c. 607) is the world’s oldest surviving wooden structure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Horyuji, Shitennoji, and Chuguji to experience the legacy of this remarkable 7th-century statesman.

Portrait of Prince Shotoku in the Shomankyokosan scene. The Asuka-period reformer who established the Seventeen-Article Constitution with 'Harmony is to be valued'

Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

Horyuji Temple (Ikaruga, Nara) — the world's oldest surviving wooden structure, founded by Prince Shotoku around 607. UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Horyuji Kondo Shaka Triad — a national treasure Buddhist sculpture representative of the Asuka period, said to have been made praying for Prince Shotoku's recovery from illness

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Horyuji Kondo (Golden Hall) — one of the world's oldest wooden structures. A national treasure encapsulating the architectural skill and Buddhist culture of the Asuka period

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Shitennoji Temple (Tennoji, Osaka) — one of Japan's oldest official temples, built by Prince Shotoku in 593. A hub for spreading Buddhist culture

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Prince Shotoku

Saint of the Seventeen-Article Constitution

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Prince Shotoku