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me?
Furuhi, the dear white pearl
That was born to us,
With dawn would not leave our bed,
But, standing or lying,
Played and romped with us.
With the evening star,
Linking hands with us,
He would say
‘Come to bed, father and mother,
Let me sleep between you,
Like sweet daphne, triple-stalked.’
Such were his pretty words.
For good or ill
We should see him grow to manhood –
Or so we trusted,
As in a great ship.
Then, beyond all thought,
Blowing hard, a sudden crosswind
Of illness
Overwhelmed him.
Lacking skill and knowing no cure,
With white hemp I tied my sleeves,
Took my mirror in my hand
And, lifting up my eyes,
To the gods in heaven I prayed;
My brow laid on the ground,
I did reverence to the gods of the earth.
‘Be he ill or be he well,
It is in your power, O gods.’
Thus I clamoured in my prayers.
Yet no good came of it,
For he wasted away,
Each dawn spoke less,
Till his life was ended.
I stood, I jumped, I stamped,
I shrieked, I lay on the ground,
I beat my breast and wailed.
Yet the child I held so tight
Has flown beyond my clasp.
Is this the way of the world?
     
    Though life for the ordinary person was far from easy, the Yamato state was in place, and the nation Japan had been formed. State-level societies are generally characterised by effective unification, by social stratification and differentiation of population categories, and by the legitimisation of power through a militia, criminal code, and legal constitution, with the ruler governing with the aid of written law. 58 All of these requirements were in place by the end of the Kofun period. The modern name Nippon or Nihon (Source of the Sun) was also coming into use by the end of the period. 59
    This does not mean of course that everyone recognised the nation as such, for some of those geographically far removed from the Yamato power-base continued to consider themselves independent for some centuries to come. 60 However, at least the structure was in place.
    The imperial family was also well entrenched, for towards the end of the period Emperor Temmu commissioned the chronicles that would legitimise the imperial line by giving it a divine heritage. In fact, it became so well entrenched that it still survives today, the world’s longest imperial lineage.
    It may seem strange that an imperial family that officially espoused Buddhism should legitimise itself through the gods of Shint, but this is simply another example of Japanese pragmatism. To this day the Japanese continue to particularise religion, following one religion in one context and another religion in another context. This ‘pragmatic religiosity’, like the avoidance of moral distinction between good and evil that in other cultures is usually based on religious values, clearly has deep roots.
    Table 1.1    Key developments in the period ca 400 BC –ca AD 700
Development
  
Approximate time
Shift from hunting and gathering
  
400 BC – AD 1
   to relatively stable rice-based agriculture
Arrival of immigrants from the continent
  
400 BC
Introduction of metal
  
400 BC
Emergence of kingdoms
  
AD 1
Establishment of social stratification
  
AD 1 on
Continued contact with continental cultures
  
AD 50 on
Emergence of the Yamato state
  
AD 250–500
Introduction of writing
  
AD 450
Introduction of Buddhism
  
AD 550
Adoption of Chinese
  
AD 600–700
   political-legal-administrative systems
Production of a mythology to legitimise
  
AD 700
   Yamato rule by attributing divine authority to it
    Table 1.2    Key values and practices in the ancient period
• avoidance of moral judgements as to good or evil
• pragmatic behaviour particularised to the situation rather than based on universal principles
• incorporation of potential threat
• adoption of the strong points of others
• desire to make Japan a strong and respected nation
• willingness to learn
• preference for ranking and hierarchy
• practical approach to religion
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