Bureaucracy in Heian Japan

[kate_nepveu]

From Ivan Morris' The World of the Shining Prince, a long quote that I had to share:

The procedure for issuing Imperial Decrees provides an example of Heian bureaucracy rampant. When the Great Council of State have decided on a proposal, they submit it to the emperor, whose secretaries rewrite it as a State dcoument, drafted of course in Chinese

Comments

[fidelioscabinet]

Speaking as a member of the the civil service, I always think back on this when people complain about our bureaucracy.

We have nothing.

[kate_nepveu]

Yes, it made me feel a lot better about my day, I tell you.