Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the costumes of the ruling class in the Asuka-Nara Period by looking at the change in the clothing law of the era. During the Asuka-Nara period, various cultures such as Buddhism, architecture, sculpture, paintings, music, and so on were introduced through vigorous exchange with Chosun and Tang. Contrary to the primitive-Kohun Period, the regulation about costumes was enacted as law in the Asuka-Nara Period this fact tells us that there was high interest in clothing. Frequent reorganization of clothing law had to do with the rank system of Japan as well as with the exchange with other countries. The clothing law of Asuka-Nara Period was mostly consisted of the regulations about costumes of the ruling class including the royal family and government officials. The law regulated different coronet and color for the clothing depending on the different rank of the government officials. The more classified the rank was, the more varied color was used. In addition, there was a variety in the costumes system; 2 piece clothing of the Kohun Period was continuously used while new types of clothing were also introduced. The royal family members and government officials wore different types of clothing such as Yebok, Jobok, and Jebok, depending on time, place, or the purpose of occasion. The costumes of this period could be inferred from the analysis of the relics.