Empress Suiko (reigned 592 – 628 CE)
Suiko, Japan’s first female Emperor, proved herself a successful diplomat by establishing relations with China. She reigned in an era of political stability and religious progress, centralizing the state and adopted a constitution for Japan. Suiko set precedent for public administration in Japan by adopting the twelve grades of cap rank, the first of its kind in Japan.
She confirmed Buddhism as an official religion in Japan, paving the way for the construction of temples and monasteries. In addition to her diplomatic and governmental reforms, she adapted Chinese governmental systems to Japan and cultivated the arts and culture from China and Korea, welcoming religious figures, artists, and scholars into Japan.
