Hyakumanto Darani

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The Hyakumanto Darani, or the One Million Pagodas and Dharani Prayers, is known as one of the earliest known examples of printing in the world.

Empress Shōtoku of Japan hoping to restore peace to Japan, had one million miniature wooden pagodas made. An incantation, printed from a woodblock technique, was inserted in each of the pagodas, which were then enshrined in Japan's foremost Buddhist temples.

The printing was completed around 770 AD and cost such a colossal amount of money that printing technology did not become widespread and the production and distribution of books continued to rely heavily on hand-copying manuscripts.

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