Early government

What Currency was in use at the time? Who was in power?

So much of early Japanese society was changed in the Asuka Period; from the religion to the architecture, from the tools of everyday workers to the systems of government.

The emperor Prince Shotoku changed their position in the world. He was bold and took on regal status similar to Chinese emperor. He would write to the Chinese emperor:
From the Son of Heaven in the land of the Rising Sun

To the Son of Heaven in the land of the Setting Sun.

 They were never again submissive to China.

Early Architecture

What Materials did they use? What was the Structure like?

The Buildings you see today in Japan are very near to what they looked like many years ago however, you see a much wider variety of materials. This is because of the limitation of tools in the Asuka Period although new tools were introduced when the  new arrived Korean and Chinese Builders arrived in Japan.

Early Art

Who inspired this technique of art? Who was depicted in these paintings?

The Art that was brought to Japan was not only tapestries and paintings they tended to mainly be on the subject of sculptures to represent the buddha. Artists were commissioned to produce sculptures that would originally be placed in Shinto Shrines.Inside Horyuji has the the mysteriious sculpture of the Buddha of Compassion called Kudara. The name comes from Korea acknowledging to origin of the arrival of these from Korea.

 Inside the Hokoji temple is the Asuka Daibutsu - the oldest of the “Great” Buddha sculptures. The sculptor was of Korean descent and the face is in the Chinese style. Later, Lots of sculptures like the Four Heavenly Kings at Horyuji  show the influence of the Tang Dynasty from China.