Shomu

Shōmu, also romanized as Shomu, was a Japanese emperor who reigned during the Nara period, from 724 to 749 CE. He is best known for promoting Buddhism as a central pillar of the state and for expanding centralized imperial authority.

During his rule, Shōmu pursued a policy of state-supported Buddhism designed to unite the realm and reinforce governance. He oversaw the establishment of the kokubunji system, which created provincial Buddhist temples and nunneries as instruments of national identity and control. This movement helped standardize religious practice while linking local areas more directly to the central government. Buddhism received extensive royal patronage, and the era saw the construction of numerous temple complexes and monastic institutions.

One of the most famous legacies of his reign was the commissioning of the Great Buddha (Daibutsu) at Tōdai-ji in Nara, a monumental symbol of the state’s protective power and Buddhist ideal. The project reflected both religious devotion and the political aim of consolidating imperial legitimacy across the countryside.

Shōmu abdicated in 749 in favor of his daughter, who became Empress Kōken (also known as Empress Shōtoku). He died in 756. His reign helped establish a model in which religious institutions and imperial authority were closely intertwined, shaping religious policy and political culture in early Japan for generations.