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Bundle 71: Ruling with an Iron Fist in the 8th Century

Eighth-century Japanese governments exercised astounding power. The authorities established colors that each rank of bureaucrats could wear and permitted only the highest-ranking ones to dress in dark purple (紫). The imperial court cultivated (墾) certain fields using public labor, permitting regular people to hold private land permanently only in 743. A rigorous legal and political framework known as the ritsuryo system forced people to do 10 days of unpaid labor if they couldn't pay taxes. And the Dazaifu, an agency governing all of Kyushu, wielded such might that it had its own diplomatic relations with China.
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墾
groundbreaking
JOK: 1281
Japan wouldn't be what it is if people hadn't labored to cultivate the land, making it suitable for agriculture and human habitation. Learn how the Japanese use 墾 to represent that major effort, and find out how to combine 墾 with just a few common kanji so you can talk about lands both tamed and wild. Find out how one term can mean both "cultivated land" and its opposite.
宰
superintend
JOK: 1288
From the head of the haiku society to Prime Minister Abe, 宰 enables you to talk about the person in charge. By reading about 宰 in this essay, you'll also learn about an ancient, powerful organization that shaped Japanese culture, a great man who ran Japan after the war, and a fascinating writer whose personal life was such a mess that it'll make you feel good about yours!
紫
purple
JOK: 1320
Purple (紫) has special meaning in Japan. An old name for one of the four major islands contains 紫. The 'Tale of Genji' author chose an alias that included 紫. Kyoto and Edo each had a shade of purple named after them, thanks to a purple plant dye. Purple is associated with various types of elites in Japan. And some Japanese perceive soy sauce and tobacco smoke as purple!
庸
commonplace
JOK: 1875
See how the Japanese perceived Okinawa before it became part of the nation. Discover the Japanese translation of "the banality of evil," and come to understand Hannah Arendt's phrase. Also learn to say, "It's difficult to find a happy medium between living in the city versus the countryside," "He is a man of moderate views," and "That's a mediocre novel by a mediocre writer."
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