Writing

Introduction of writing in Japan

The Japanese were exposed to written matter as early as the late Yayoi period (c. ?1000 bc – 300 ad). Thus, inscribed Chinese coins have been unearthed in excavations of sites dating from the first century ad. There is no evidence of any awareness of the function of writing at that early stage, however, and it is likely that the characters which appear on mirrors and other artefacts produced in Japan through the third and fourth centuries were also simple ornaments, in imitation of those found on articles from the continent. To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche. The Kojiki and the Nihon shoki recount this event as the advent of the scribes Wani and Akichi in the years Ōjin 15 and 16 (thought to be early in the fifth century, possibly 404–5; the traditional dating puts this at as early as 284–5, two 60-year cycles earlier). For some time, writing remained in the hands of hereditary professional scribes (fubito) who were of continental heritage. Through the sixth and seventh centuries Sinitic culture, including Chinese Buddhism, flowed into Japan through Paekche. In the course of this, written Chinese assumed enormous importance in matters of state, philosophy and religion.