Table of Contents

List of figures and tables Acknowledgements Conventions 1. Introduction 2. Developments in the Political Structure of Early Japanese Society 3. The Earliest Forms of Tsumi: Kunitsutsumi and Amatsutsumi 4. Tsumi during the Development of Kingship 5. Tsumi during the Transformation from Okimi to Tenno. 6. Tsumi under the the Early Ritsuryo State. 7. Conclusion: The Resolution of Tsumi Notes Glossary of Chinese, Japanese and English terms Bibliography Conclusion

About the Author

Yoko Williams holds a doctorate from the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford, and has held lecturing positions at the Faculty of Law, Waseda University, and other universities in Japan. Her main area of specialization is the philosophy and politics of early Japan. Dr Williams currently resides in Austria.