The Beginnings of a State under the Ritsuryō System
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Round Eave Tile, Design of Lotus flower
From the ruins of Asuka-dera, Asuka-mura, Nara, Asuka period, 6～7th centuryJapanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Japanese Archaeology Gallery
April 8, 2026 (Wed) - September 13, 2026 (Sun)In 701, a system of law and administration (ritsuryō) modeled after Tang China was established in Japan under the emperor. A new imperial capital was founded in Nara in 710, and that was the beginning of the Nara period, which lasted about 70 years. During this period, large-scale projects such as the construction of national roads and government-administered Buddhist temples were undertaken. Such events were preceded by the dispatch of envoys to China from the 7th century. These envoys brought the latest institutions, religions, technology, and cultural objects to Japan, contributing greatly to the political and cultural reforms that followed.
Buddhism in particular affected Japan. One Buddhist tradition that spread through society, beginning with the emperor and powerful aristocrats, was cremation. This section displays vessels for cremated remains, items buried with the deceased, and epitaphs noting individuals’ achievements.
Roof tiles, which were introduced to Japan at the end of the 6th century, were initially used for Buddhist temples. After an earlier imperial capital was established in 694, their use was extended to the imperial palace and government buildings. When Emperor Shōmu ordered the construction of government-administered temples across Japan in 741, the production of roof tiles gained momentum in the provinces. This section also exhibits distinctive tiles from various regions, ranging from Tōhoku in the north to Kyushu in the south.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Round Eave-End Tile with a Lotus Flower | Found at Asukadera Temple, Nara | Asuka period, 6th–7th century | J-35079 | |||
| Ridge-End Roof Tile (Onigawara) with a Lotus Flower | Found at the remains of Okuyama Temple, Nara | Asuka period, 7th century | J-24248-1 | ||||
| Ridge-End Roof Tile (Onigawara) with a Lotus Flower | Found at the remains of Yamamura Temple, Nara | Asuka period, 7th century | J-35460 | ||||
| Highlight | Ridge-End Roof Tile (Onigawara) with a Demon Face | Found at the site of the Nakayama Tile Kilns, Nara | Nara period, 8th century | Lent by the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties | |||
| Highlight | Ridge-End Roof Tile (Onigawara) with a Demon Face | Found at Kōfukuji Temple, Nara | Nara period, 8th century | J-35464 | |||
| Highlight | Concave Eave-End Roof Tile with Vines | Found at Tōdaiji Temple, Nara | Nara period, 8th century | J-35390 | |||
| Concave Eave-End Tile with Concentric Arcs | Found at the site of Kōzuke Kokubunji Temple, Gunma | Nara period, 8th century | J-36718-2 | ||||
| Highlight | Miniature Pagoda | Found in Higashimurayama City, Tokyo | Nara period, 8th century | J-25396 | |||
| Highlight | Ridge-End Roof Ornament (Shibi) | Found at the Tosaka (Takaida) Temple Site, Osaka | Asuka–Nara period, 7th–8th century | J-25363 |