Prince Shotoku and the Seventeen Article Constitution

Meet the regent remembered for a famous set of moral guidelines, and see what the seventeen articles really say.

Published October 22, 2026 at 1:30 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: The Seventeen Article Constitution is a set of moral and political guidelines for officials, traditionally credited to Prince Shotoku and dated to 604 in the Nihon Shoki, which was completed in 720. It is not a modern legal constitution. Its first article asks for harmony, or wa, and its second asks for respect for the Three Treasures of Buddhism. Scholars still debate how much of it dates from his lifetime.

Prince Shotoku appears on old banknotes, in school lessons and in the temple of Horyu-ji, so many visitors to Japan meet his name long before they learn the story behind it. The Seventeen Article Constitution is the most famous document linked to him, yet it is often misunderstood because of the word constitution. This guide explains who the prince was, what each group of articles says, why historians discuss its origins, and where travelers can see places connected with his era.

Who Prince Shotoku was

Prince Shotoku (574 to 622), also called Prince Umayado, was a member of the imperial family during the Asuka period. English Wikipedia describes him as a semi-legendary regent and politician, a son of Emperor Yomei. Tradition says that his aunt, Empress Suiko, appointed him regent in 593.

The Asuka period is usually dated from 538 to 710, and Suiko reigned from 593 to 628 as the first of eight reigning empresses. The influential Soga clan was close to the throne, and the prince's family ties to the Soga helped shape the politics of the day. Because he lived so long ago, historians treat the surviving accounts as a mixture of record and later devotion, and this is one reason his name carries so much warmth in Japanese memory.

What the constitution is and is not

The Seventeen Article Constitution is a list of seventeen short statements on how officials and subjects should behave. English Wikipedia says it is strongly shaped by Buddhist and Confucian ideas and puts moral and spiritual values ahead of detailed law. It names the emperor as the highest authority and gives no system of courts or penalties, which is why scholars say it resembles a statement of principles more than a modern constitution.

The earliest surviving text comes from the Nihon Shoki, completed in 720, which dates it to 604. No older manuscript is known. Japanese Wikipedia gives the date as the third day of the fourth lunar month of Suiko's twelfth year, which corresponds to May 6, 604.

The first articles: harmony, faith and order

The opening articles set the tone. Article 1 asks people to value harmony and avoid needless defiance, noting that when those above and below cooperate, affairs go well. Article 2 asks for sincere respect for the Three Treasures: the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangha (the community of monks).

Article 3 asks officials to carefully follow imperial edicts, comparing the ruler to heaven and subjects to earth. Article 4 stresses propriety, a Confucian idea of fitting conduct, as the basis of social order. Readers often remember Article 1 best, since the ideal of wa continues to be a familiar value in Japanese schools and workplaces.

Articles on fair and honest government

A large share of the text is practical advice for people holding office. Article 5 asks officials to set aside greed and decide disputes fairly without favoring the wealthy. Article 6 calls for rewarding good conduct and correcting wrongdoing. Article 7 says every office carries its own duty and should go to a capable person.

Other articles ask officials to arrive early and stay late (Article 8), to be sincere (Article 9) and to judge merit and fault accurately (Article 11). Article 13 asks colleagues to know each other's work so that tasks continue when someone is away. Together these read like a handbook for a young civil service, which fits the period when the court was building the habits of government.

Anger, envy and shared decisions

Some of the best-loved articles concern human nature. Article 10 asks readers to give up resentment, since nobody is entirely right and the group's view deserves attention. Article 14 warns against jealousy and suggests welcoming able people. Article 15 puts public duty ahead of private interest.

Article 12 says provincial officials must not collect taxes for personal gain, and Article 16 asks that people be called to public labor in winter, outside the busy farming and silk seasons. The final article says that important matters should not be decided by one person alone but discussed with many. Because of these lines, the document is often quoted as an early expression of consultation in Japan.

The rank system that came with it

Around the same time, the court introduced the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System in 603. English Wikipedia says the traditional account credits Shotoku with establishing it. Ranks were named for Confucian virtues such as virtue, benevolence, propriety, trust, righteousness and wisdom, with greater and lesser grades making twelve in all.

Ranks were granted to individuals rather than passed down within families, so talent could be rewarded. Colored caps showed each person's level. This system and the seventeen articles are usually read together, as parts of an effort to organize a court that was growing more complex and was in contact with Sui China.

Why historians debate its origin

Scholars discuss how much of the text dates from 604. English Wikipedia notes that some wording does not seem to fit the period, so some experts question the attribution. Japanese Wikipedia explains that some scholars argued the text was written when the Nihon Shoki itself was compiled, while others find that its emphasis on Buddhism and propriety matches policy under Suiko, perhaps with later editing.

This debate is a normal part of studying ancient history and does not lessen the document's influence. Whether it came from the prince himself or from the circle around him, the seventeen articles shaped how later generations imagined good government. Japanese tradition has long treated the prince as a model of wisdom, and that image is part of the story too.

Places connected with the prince

The easiest place to explore his era is Horyu-ji in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture. English Wikipedia says that Prince Shotoku founded the temple around 607. Lightning destroyed the original complex in 670, and it was rebuilt, probably completed around 711. UNESCO inscribed the Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area in 1993 and describes them as some of the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world.

The Yumedono, or Hall of Dreams, stands on the site of the prince's palace and was built in 739, according to Wikipedia. Excavations in 1939 confirmed that the palace stood in the eastern part of the complex. Shitennoji in present-day Osaka is another temple linked to him. Hours and entry details vary, so check the official site of each temple before traveling.

The prince in daily life and memory

Prince Shotoku has appeared on several Japanese banknotes, including the 100, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen notes, with the 10,000 yen note issued in 1958. This is one reason many people in Japan can recognize his face. English Wikipedia also records that in 607 he sent Ono no Imoko to China with a letter from the land of the rising sun, the earliest known written use of that description.

A devotional following grew around the prince in later centuries, and Buddhist figures such as Saicho and Shinran are said to have found inspiration in him. For a visitor, it is helpful to think of him as both a historical figure and a cultural symbol, a person whose name stands for peaceful government and the arrival of Buddhism.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Manga-Style Japanese History: Shoguns, Samurai & Sake is available on Amazon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Seventeen Article Constitution?

It is a list of seventeen short moral and political guidelines for officials, traditionally attributed to Prince Shotoku and dated to 604 by the Nihon Shoki. It is closer to a code of conduct than a modern constitution, because it states ideals such as harmony and fairness and does not set out detailed laws or penalties.

Did Prince Shotoku really write it?

The Nihon Shoki credits him, but modern scholars disagree about how much of the text goes back to 604. Some think it was shaped when the Nihon Shoki was compiled, while others believe its ideas fit the Suiko era. English Wikipedia describes the question as debated, so it is safest to say it is traditionally attributed to him.

Where can visitors see places linked to Prince Shotoku?

Horyu-ji in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, is the best known, and its Yumedono Hall stands where his palace once was. UNESCO lists the temple area as a World Heritage property. Shitennoji in Osaka is also associated with him. Confirm hours and entry fees on each temple's official site.

Further Reading

To explore further, see Seventeen-article constitution (English Wikipedia), Prince Shotoku (English Wikipedia) and Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (UNESCO World Heritage Centre).

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More guides from Tokyo Paul: Todaiji: Nara's Great Buddha Hall, Kojiki: The Ancient Book of Japanese Myths and Buddhism in Japan: Temples, Schools and Daily Traditions.