Who was Prince Shotoku?

Prince Shotoku (574-622), a member of
the imperial clan, exercised political
leadership from the end of the sixth
century to the beginning of the seventh
century. After Empress Suiko ascended
to the throne in 593 as Japan’s first
female monarch, Shotoku took over the
reins of political power as her regent.
He created Japan’s first constitution,
known as the Seventeen-Article
Constitution, which established rules
for officials engaged in political affairs.
For example, it stipulated that officials
serving in the imperial court must obey
the orders of the reigning monarch and
that there must be fair trials.
Prince Shotoku also devoted his
efforts to the spread of Buddhism in
Japan, building many temples and
dispatching envoys to China.