Person

Emperor Shōmu

701–756 · 8th century · Also known as Shōmu

Shōmu was emperor of Japan from 724 to 749. A devout Buddhist, he ordered the building of state temples in every province and of Tōdai-ji in Nara, with its colossal bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, dedicated in 752. Many of his possessions are preserved in the Shōsōin treasure house.

Emperor Shōmu
Image: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Ritsuryo Japan

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Emperor Shōmu. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-shomu
MLA
“Emperor Shōmu.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-shomu. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Emperor Shōmu.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-shomu.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Emperor Shōmu’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-shomu (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻