Hyakumantō Darani
Dharani de Hyakumantō
- Date
- 764-770 · confidence high
- Place
- Nara, Japan
- Credited to
- Empress Shōtoku
- People
- 👤 Emperatriz Kōken718–770
- Field
- Communication
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A million Buddhist prayers printed and kept in small wooden pagodas by imperial order after a rebellion. It is the first documented mass print run in history and the oldest surviving printed items with a documented date.
It is debated whether they were printed with wooden blocks or metal plates. Many pagodas are kept at Hōryū-ji.
What it led to
- the spread of printing in Japanese monasteries
- mass production of devotional texts