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81-521: Sennyū-ji was founded in the early Heian period . According to one tradition, it was founded as Senyū-ji ( 仙遊寺 ) in 855 at the former mountain villa of Fujiwara no Otsugu . According to another tradition, this temple was a reconstruction of an earlier temple, Hōrin-ji ( 法輪寺 ) , which had been founded by Kōbō-Daishi in the Tenchō era (824–834). The major buildings in Sennyū-ji were reconstructed and enlarged in

162-629: A de facto return to conditions before the Taika Reform . Within decades of Daigo's death, the Fujiwara had absolute control over the court. By the year 1000, Fujiwara no Michinaga was able to enthrone and dethrone emperors at will. Little authority was left for traditional institutions, and government affairs were handled through the Fujiwara clan's private administration. The Fujiwara had become what historian George B. Sansom has called "hereditary dictators". Despite their usurpation of imperial authority,

243-620: A certain courtier tried to ask her advice about how to write a poem to the Empress Sadako , she had to politely rebuke him because his writing was so poor. The lyrics of the modern Japanese national anthem, Kimigayo , were written in the Heian period, as was The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu , which was extremely important to the Heian court, and one of the first novels ever written. Murasaki Shikibu's contemporary and rival Sei Shōnagon's revealing observations and musings as an attendant in

324-570: A greater "organizational dynamism". The iconography of the Heian period is widely known in Japan, and depicted in various media, from traditional festivals to anime . Various festivals feature Heian dress – most notably Hinamatsuri (doll festival), where the dolls wear Heian dress, but also numerous other festivals, such as Aoi Matsuri in Kyoto (May) and Saiō Matsuri in Meiwa, Mie (June), both of which feature

405-406: A lack of a sense of Japan as a single nation. Under the early courts, when military conscription had been centrally controlled, military affairs had been taken out of the hands of the provincial aristocracy. But as the system broke down after 792, local power holders again became the primary source of military strength. The re-establishment of an efficient military system was made gradually through

486-519: A member of the Fujiwara clan, Hirotsugu, launched a rebellion from his base in Fukuoka, Kyushu. Although the rebellion was defeated, there is no doubt that the emperor was shocked and frightened by these events, and he moved the palace three times in only five years from 740, until he eventually returned to Nara. In the late Nara period, financial burdens on the state increased, and the court began dismissing nonessential officials. In 792 universal conscription

567-452: A population of 200,000 (representing nearly 7% of the country's population) and some 10,000 people worked in government jobs. Economic and administrative activity increased during the Nara period. Roads linked Nara to provincial capitals, and taxes were collected more efficiently and routinely. Coins were minted, if not widely used. Outside the Nara area, there was little commercial activity, and in

648-683: A process of trial-and-error. At that time the imperial court did not possess an army but rather relied on an organization of professional warriors composed mainly of oryoshi, which were appointed to an individual province and tsuibushi, which were appointed over imperial circuits or for specific tasks. This gave rise to the Japanese military class. Nonetheless, final authority rested with the imperial court. Shōen holders had access to manpower and, as they obtained improved military technology (such as new training methods, more powerful bows, armor, horses, and superior swords) and faced worsening local conditions in

729-408: A solid medium of economic exchange is implicitly illustrated in novels of the time. For instance, messengers were rewarded with useful objects such as an old silk kimono , rather than being paid a monetary fee. The Fujiwara rulers failed to maintain adequate police forces, which left robbers free to prey on travelers. This is implicitly illustrated in novels by the terror that night travel inspired in

810-455: A succession struggle among his sons, two new offices were established in an effort to adjust the Taika – Taihō administrative structure. Through the new Emperor's Private Office, the emperor could issue administrative edicts more directly and with more self-assurance than before. The new Metropolitan Police Board replaced the largely ceremonial imperial guard units. While these two offices strengthened

891-551: A unique culture that was different from the Japanese people. They were eventually subjugated by the Ritsuryō . Relations with the Korean kingdom of Silla were initially peaceful, with regular diplomatic exchanges. The rise of Balhae north of Silla destabilized Japan-Silla relations. Balhae sent its first mission in 728 to Nara, which welcomed them as the successor state to Goguryeo , with which Japan had been allied until Silla unified

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972-533: Is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court , noted for its art , especially poetry and literature . Two syllabaries unique to Japan, katakana and hiragana , emerged during this time. This gave rise to Japan's famous vernacular literature, with many of its texts written by court women who were not as educated in Chinese as their male counterparts. Although the Imperial House of Japan had power on

1053-625: Is also enshrined in form of kofun at Nochi no Tsukinowa no Higashiyama no misasagi ( 後月輪東山陵 ) . Sennyū-ji's large nehan-zu painting depicts Buddha on his death bed. This massive image (8 meters x 16 meters) is the largest in Japan. The image at nearby Tōfuku-ji is the second largest of its kind in Japan, measuring 7 meters x 14 meters. Both images are only rarely displayed, most recently in 2003 for three days only. 34°58′41″N 135°46′50″E  /  34.97806°N 135.78056°E  / 34.97806; 135.78056 Heian period The Heian period ( 平安時代 , Heian jidai )

1134-463: Is also noted for the rise of the samurai class, which would eventually take power and start the feudal period of Japan. Nominally, sovereignty lay in the emperor but in fact, power was wielded by the Fujiwara nobility. However, to protect their interests in the provinces, the Fujiwara, and other noble families required guards, police and soldiers. The warrior class made steady political gains throughout

1215-468: Is based on Vajrayana Buddhism. It was brought to Japan by the monk Kūkai . Shingon Buddhism emphasizes the use of symbols, rituals, incantations and mandalas, which gave it a wide appeal. Kūkai greatly impressed the emperors who succeeded Emperor Kammu, and also generations of Japanese, not only with his holiness but also with his poetry, calligraphy, painting, and sculpture. Both Kūkai and Saichō aimed to connect state and religion and establish support from

1296-577: Is the Japanese version of the Tiantai school from China, which is based on the Lotus Sutra , one of the most important sutras in Mahayana Buddhism. It was brought to Japan by the monk Saichō . An important element of Tendai doctrine was the suggestion that enlightenment was accessible to "every creature". Saichō also sought independent ordination for Tendai monks. A close relationship developed between

1377-501: Is the last division of classical Japanese history , running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period , beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu , moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto ). Heian ( 平安 ) means ' peace ' in Japanese. It is a period in Japanese history when the Chinese influences were in decline and the national culture matured. The Heian period

1458-519: The Man'yōshū , was compiled from poems mostly composed between 600 and 759 CE. This, and other Nara texts, used Chinese characters to express the sounds of Japanese , known as man'yōgana . Before the Taihō Code was established, the capital was customarily moved after the death of an emperor because of the ancient belief that a place of death was polluted. Reforms and bureaucratization of government led to

1539-670: The Ritsuryō Code , this system attempted to recreate the Tang legal system in Japan, despite the "tremendous differences in the levels of development between the two countries". Despite the decline of the Taika – Taihō reforms, the imperial government was vigorous during the early Heian period. Kammu's avoidance of drastic reform decreased the intensity of political struggles, and he became recognized as one of Japan's most forceful emperors. Although Kammu had abandoned universal conscription in 792, he still waged major military offensives to subjugate

1620-487: The Ryōmin (良民 "Good People") numbered about 5,000 in a land of perhaps five million. One reason the samurai were able to take power was that the ruling nobility proved incompetent at managing Japan and its provinces. By the year 1000, the government no longer knew how to issue currency and money was gradually disappearing. Instead of a fully realized system of money circulation, rice was the primary unit of exchange. The lack of

1701-509: The Emishi , possible descendants of the displaced Jōmon , living in northern and eastern Japan. After making temporary gains in 794, in 797, Kammu appointed a new commander, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro , under the title Seii Taishōgun ("Barbarian-subduing generalissimo"). By 801, the shōgun had defeated the Emishi and had extended the imperial domains to the eastern end of Honshū . Imperial control over

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1782-577: The Hyakumantō Darani — many examples of which survive. The small scrolls, dating from 770, are among the earliest printed works in the world. Shōtoku had the charms printed to placate the Buddhist clergy. She may even have wanted to make Dōkyō emperor, but she died before she could act. Her actions shocked Nara society and led to the exclusion of women from imperial succession and the removal of Buddhist priests from positions of political authority. Many of

1863-539: The In-no-chō and of the rise of the military class throughout the country. Military might rather than civil authority dominated the government. A struggle for succession in the mid-twelfth century gave the Fujiwara an opportunity to regain their former power. Fujiwara no Yorinaga sided with the retired emperor in a violent battle in 1156 against the heir apparent, who was supported by the Taira and Minamoto ( Hōgen Rebellion ). In

1944-521: The Soga clan had taken control of the throne in the sixth century, the Fujiwara by the ninth century had intermarried with the imperial family , and one of their members was the first head of the Emperor's Private Office. Another Fujiwara became regent, Sesshō for his grandson, then a minor emperor and yet another was appointed Kampaku . Toward the end of the 9th century, several emperors tried but failed, to check

2025-770: The Tang court every twenty years. Many Japanese students, both lay and Buddhist priests, studied in Chang'an and Luoyang . One student named Abe no Nakamaro passed the Chinese civil examination to be appointed to governmental posts in China. He served as governor-general in Annam (Chinese Vietnam ) from 761 through 767. Many students who returned from China, such as Kibi no Makibi , were promoted to high government posts. Tang China never sent official envoys to Japan, for Japanese kings, or "emperors" as they styled themselves, did not seek investiture from

2106-742: The Tōdai-ji (literally Eastern Great Temple) was built. Within it was placed the Great Buddha Daibutsu : a 16-metre-high, gilt-bronze statue. This Buddha was identified with the Sun Goddess, and a gradual syncretism of Buddhism and Shinto ensued. Shōmu declared himself the "Servant of the Three Treasures " of Buddhism: the Buddha, the law or teachings of Buddhism, and the Buddhist community. The central government established temples called kokubunji in

2187-619: The imperial court to record its history produced the first works of Japanese literature during the Nara period. Works such as the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki were political, used to record and therefore justify and establish the supremacy of the rule of the emperors within Japan . With the spread of written language, the writing of Japanese poetry , known in Japanese as waka , began. The largest and longest-surviving collection of Japanese poetry,

2268-483: The jūnihitoe 12-layer dress. Traditional horseback archery ( yabusame ) festivals, which date from the beginning of the Kamakura period (immediately following the Heian period) feature similar dress. < Nara period | History of Japan | Kamakura period > Nara period The Nara period ( 奈良時代 , Nara jidai ) of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established

2349-423: The provinces . The Tōdai-ji was the kokubunji of Yamato Province (present-day Nara Prefecture ). Although these efforts stopped short of making Buddhism the state religion, Nara Buddhism heightened the status of the imperial family. Buddhist influence at court increased under the two reigns of Shōmu's daughter. As Empress Kōken (r. 749–758) she brought many Buddhist priests into court. Kōken abdicated in 758 on

2430-411: The 6-year old Emperor. He perished, but his mother survived. Takakura's other son succeeded as Emperor Go-Toba . With Yoritomo firmly established, the bakufu system that governed Japan for the next seven centuries was in place. He appointed military governors, or shugo , to rule over the provinces, and stewards, or jito to supervise public and private estates. Yoritomo then turned his attention to

2511-519: The Buddhist institutions there. Kyoto had good river access to the sea and could be reached by land routes from the eastern provinces. The early Heian period (784–967) continued Nara culture; the Heian capital was patterned on the Chinese Tang capital at Chang'an , as was Nara, but on a larger scale than Nara. Kammu endeavored to improve the Tang-style administrative system which was in use. Known as

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2592-568: The Chinese emperor. A local Chinese government in the Lower Yangzi Valley sent a mission to Japan to return Japanese envoys who entered China through Balhae . The Chinese local mission could not return home due to the An Lushan Rebellion and remained in Japan. The Hayato people (隼人) in southern Kyushu frequently resisted rule by the imperial dynasty during the Nara period. They are believed to be of Austronesian origin and had

2673-504: The Empress' court were recorded collectively as The Pillow Book in the 990s, which revealed the quotidian capital lifestyle. The Heian period produced a flowering of poetry including works of Ariwara no Narihira , Ono no Komachi , Izumi Shikibu , Murasaki Shikibu, Saigyō and Fujiwara no Teika . The famous Japanese poem known as the Iroha (いろは), of uncertain authorship, was also written during

2754-416: The Fujiwara after centuries of imitating Chinese forms. Vividly colored yamato-e , Japanese style paintings of court life and stories about temples and shrines became common in the mid-to-late Heian period, setting patterns for Japanese art to this day. As culture flourished, so did decentralization. Whereas the first phase of shōen development in the early Heian period had seen the opening of new lands and

2835-407: The Fujiwara presided over a period of cultural and artistic flowering at the imperial court and among the aristocracy. There was great interest in graceful poetry and vernacular literature . Two types of phonetic Japanese script: katakana , a simplified script that was developed by using parts of Chinese characters, was abbreviated to hiragana , a cursive syllabary with a distinct writing method that

2916-596: The Fujiwara, felt threatened with the loss of their lands. Go-Sanjo also established the In-no-chō  [ ja ] ( 院庁 "Office of the Cloistered Emperor"), which was held by a succession of emperors who abdicated to devote themselves to behind-the-scenes governance, or insei . The In-no-chō filled the void left by the decline of Fujiwara power. Rather than being banished, the Fujiwara were mostly retained in their old positions of civil dictator and minister of

2997-425: The Fujiwara. For a time, however, during the reign of Emperor Daigo (897–930), the Fujiwara regency was suspended as he ruled directly. Nevertheless, the Fujiwara were not demoted by Daigo but actually became stronger during his reign. Central control of Japan had continued to decline, and the Fujiwara, along with other great families and religious foundations, acquired ever larger shōen and greater wealth during

3078-433: The Heian period. During the Heian period, beauty was widely considered an important part of what made one a "good" person. In cosmetic terms, aristocratic men and women powdered their faces and blackened their teeth, the latter termed ohaguro . The male courtly ideal included a faint mustache and thin goatee , while women's mouths were painted small and red, and their eyebrows were plucked or shaved and redrawn higher on

3159-402: The Heian period. As early as 939 AD, Taira no Masakado threatened the authority of the central government, leading an uprising in the eastern province of Hitachi , and almost simultaneously, Fujiwara no Sumitomo rebelled in the west. Still, a true military takeover of the Japanese government was centuries away, when much of the strength of the government would lie within the private armies of

3240-506: The Japanese Misplaced Pages entries irome and kasane-no-irome ). While the Heian period was an unusually long period of peace, it can also be argued that the period weakened Japan economically and led to poverty for all but a tiny few of its inhabitants. The control of rice fields provided a key source of income for families such as the Fujiwara and was a fundamental base of their power. The aristocratic beneficiaries of Heian culture,

3321-534: The Japanese artworks and imported treasures from other countries during the era of Emperors Shōmu and Shōtoku are archived in Shōsō-in of Tōdai-ji temple. They are called "Shōsōin treasures" and illustrate the cosmopolitan culture known as Tempyō culture . Imported treasures show the cultural influences of Silk Road areas, including China, Korea, India, and the Islamic empire. Shosoin stores more than 10,000 paper documents,

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3402-499: The Tendai monastery complex on Mount Hiei and the imperial court in its new capital at the foot of the mountain. As a result, Tendai emphasized great reverence for the emperor and the nation. Emperor Kammu himself was a notable patron of the otherworldly Tendai sect, which rose to great power over the ensuing centuries. Shingon is the Japanese version of the Zhenyen school from China, which

3483-399: The advice of her cousin, Fujiwara no Nakamaro . When the retired empress came to favor a Buddhist faith healer named Dōkyō , Nakamaro rose up in arms in 764 but was quickly crushed. Kōken charged the ruling emperor with colluding with Nakamaro and had him deposed. Kōken reascended the throne as Empress Shōtoku (r. 764–770). The empress commissioned the printing of 1 million prayer charms —

3564-466: The aristocracy, leading to the notion of "aristocratic Buddhism". Although written Chinese ( kanbun ) remained the official language of the Heian period imperial court, the introduction and widespread use of kana saw a boom in Japanese literature . Despite the establishment of several new literary genres such as the novel and narrative monogatari (物語) and essays, literacy was only common among

3645-430: The capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara ). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kanmu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō , in 784, before moving to Heian-kyō , modern Kyoto , a decade later in 794. Japanese society during this period was predominantly agricultural and centered on village life. Most of

3726-403: The center while being bypassed in decision making. In time, many of the Fujiwara were replaced, mostly by members of the rising Minamoto clan . While the Fujiwara fell into disputes among themselves and formed northern and southern factions, the insei system allowed the paternal line of the imperial family to gain influence over the throne. The period from 1086 to 1156 was the age of supremacy of

3807-444: The city of Nara at the end of the eighth century. Shorelines and stone settings were naturalistic, different from the heavier, earlier continental mode of constructing pond edges. Two such gardens have been found at excavations; both were used for poetry-writing festivities. The Nara court aggressively imported knowledge about the Chinese civilization of its day (the Tang dynasty ) by sending diplomatic envoys known as kentōshi to

3888-422: The court after the death of Fujiwara no Fuhito . Fuhito was succeeded by four sons, Muchimaro , Umakai , Fusasaki , and Maro. They put Emperor Shōmu, the prince by Fuhito's daughter, on the throne. In 729, they arrested Nagaya and regained control. As a major outbreak of smallpox spread from Kyūshū in 735, all four brothers died two years later, resulting in temporary reduction in the Fujiwara dominance. In 740,

3969-424: The court and Buddhist clergy. Poetry, in particular, was a staple of court life. Nobles and ladies-in-waiting were expected to be well versed in the art of writing poetry as a mark of their status. Every occasion could call for the writing of a verse, from the birth of a child to the coronation of an emperor, or even a pretty scene of nature. A well-written poem could easily make or break one's reputation, and often

4050-428: The court aristocracy who had become prominent provincial figures. These military families gained prestige from connections to the imperial court and court-granted military titles and access to manpower. The Fujiwara family, Taira clan, and Minamoto clan were among the most prominent families supported by the new military class. A decline in food production, the growth of the population, and competition for resources among

4131-515: The early 13th century by the monk Tsukinowa Shunjō. The temple was enlarged by Priest Shunjo in 1218, and the large temple buildings were built in the contemporary Chinese style of the Song dynasty . Priest Shunjo traveled to China during the Song dynasty to study Buddhism. Tsukinowa no misasagi Emperor Go-Horikawa and Emperor Shijō were the first to be enshrined in an Imperial mausoleum at Sennyū-ji. It

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4212-449: The early tenth century. By the early Heian period, the shōen had obtained legal status, and the large religious establishments sought clear titles in perpetuity, waiver of taxes, and immunity from government inspection of the shōen they held. Those people who worked the land found it advantageous to transfer title to shōen holders in return for a share of the harvest. People and lands were increasingly beyond central control and taxation,

4293-513: The elimination of the powerful Fujiwara family, which sheltered his rebellious brother Yoshitsune. Three years later, he was appointed shōgun in Kyoto. One year before his death in 1199, Yoritomo expelled the teenaged emperor Go-Toba from the throne. Two of Go-Toba's sons succeeded him, but they would also be removed by Yoritomo's successors to the shogunate. The Heian period saw the rise of two esoteric Buddhist sects, Tendai and Shingon . Tendai

4374-433: The emperor's position temporarily, soon they and other Chinese-style structures were bypassed in the developing state. In 838 the end of the imperial-sanctioned missions to Tang China, which had begun in 630, marked the effective end of Chinese influence. Tang China was in a state of decline, and Chinese Buddhists were severely persecuted, undermining Japanese respect for Chinese institutions. Japan began to turn inward. As

4455-409: The emperors and established the shogunate in Kamakura. When Emperor Kammu moved the capital to Heian-kyō ( Kyoto ), which remained the imperial capital for the next 1,000 years, he did so not only to strengthen imperial authority but also to improve his seat of government geopolitically. Nara was abandoned after only 70 years in part due to the ascendancy of Dōkyō and the encroaching secular power of

4536-463: The end of the 9th century, making the political situation unstable. The Japanese missions to Tang China were suspended and the influx of Chinese exports halted, a fact which facilitated the independent growth of Japanese culture called kokufu bunka  [ ja ] . Therefore, the Heian Period is considered a high point in Japanese culture that later generations have always admired. The period

4617-442: The end, the Fujiwara were destroyed, the old system of government supplanted, and the insei system left powerless as bushi took control of court affairs, marking a turning point in Japanese history. In 1159, the Taira and Minamoto clashed ( Heiji Rebellion ), and a twenty-year period of Taira ascendancy began. Taira no Kiyomori emerged as the real power in Japan following the Fujiwara's destruction, and he would remain in command for

4698-422: The era was the permanent establishment of Buddhism . Buddhism was introduced by Baekje in the sixth century but had a mixed reception until the Nara period, when it was heartily embraced by Emperor Shōmu . Shōmu and his Fujiwara consort were fervent Buddhists and actively promoted the spread of Buddhism, making it the "guardian of the state" and a way of strengthening Japanese institutions. During Shōmu's reign,

4779-454: The establishment of a permanent imperial capital at Heijō-kyō , or Nara , in AD 710. The capital was moved shortly (for reasons described later in this section) to Kuni-kyō (present-day Kizugawa ) in 740–744, to Naniwa-kyō (present-day Osaka ) in 744–745, to Shigarakinomiya (紫香楽宮, present-day Shigaraki ) in 745, and moved back to Nara in 745. Nara was Japan's first truly urban center. It soon had

4860-417: The forehead ( hikimayu ). Women cultivated shiny, black flowing hair and a courtly woman's formal dress included a complex "twelve-layered robe" called jūnihitoe , though the actual number of layers varied. Costumes were determined by office and season, with a woman's robes, in particular, following a system of color combinations representing flowers, plants, and animals specific to a season or month, (see

4941-508: The granting of the use of lands to aristocrats and religious institutions, the second phase saw the growth of patrimonial "house governments", as in the old clan system. In fact, the form of the old clan system had remained largely intact within the great old centralized government. New institutions were now needed in the face of social, economic, and political changes. The Taihō Code lapsed, its institutions relegated to ceremonial functions. Family administrations now became public institutions. As

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5022-407: The great families all led to the gradual decline of Fujiwara power and gave rise to military disturbances in the mid-tenth and eleventh centuries. Members of the Fujiwara, Taira, and Minamoto families—all of whom had descended from the imperial family—attacked one another, claimed control over vast tracts of conquered land, set up rival regimes, and generally upset the peace. The Fujiwara controlled

5103-527: The late eleventh century, the city was popularly called Kyoto (capital city), the name it has had ever since. Some of Japan's literary monuments were written during the Nara period, including the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki , the first national histories, compiled in 712 and 720 respectively; the Man'yōshū , an anthology of poems; and the Kaifūsō , an anthology written in kanji by Japanese emperors and princes. Another major cultural development of

5184-496: The loss or abandonment of land by many people who became the "wave people" ( furōsha ). Some of these formerly "public people" were privately employed by large landholders, and "public lands" increasingly reverted to the shōen . Factional fighting at the imperial court continued throughout the Nara period. Imperial family members, leading court families, such as the Fujiwara , and Buddhist priests all contended for influence. Earlier during this period, Prince Nagaya seized power at

5265-461: The main characters. The shōen system enabled the accumulation of wealth by an aristocratic elite; the economic surplus can be linked to the cultural developments of the Heian period and the "pursuit of arts". The major Buddhist temples in Heian-kyō and Nara also made use of the shōen . The establishment of branches rurally and integration of some Shinto shrines within these temple networks reflects

5346-471: The most powerful family, the Fujiwara governed Japan and determined the general affairs of state, such as succession to the throne. Family and state affairs were thoroughly intermixed, a pattern followed among other families, monasteries, and even the imperial family. Land management became the primary occupation of the aristocracy, not so much because direct control by the imperial family or central government had declined but more from strong family solidarity and

5427-487: The next 20 years. He gave his daughter Tokuko in marriage to the young emperor Takakura , who died at only 19, leaving their infant son Antoku to succeed to the throne. Kiyomori filled no less than 50 government posts with his relatives, rebuilt the Inland Sea, and encouraged trade with Song China. He also took aggressive actions to safeguard his power when necessary, including the removal and exile of 45 court officials and

5508-583: The ninth century, military service became part of shōen life. Not only the shōen but also civil and religious institutions formed private guard units to protect themselves. Gradually, the provincial upper class was transformed into a new military elite of samurai . Bushi interests were diverse, cutting across old power structures to form new associations in the tenth century. Mutual interests, family connections, and kinship were consolidated in military groups that became part of family administration. In time, large regional military families formed around members of

5589-414: The provinces the old Shōtoku land reform systems declined. By the mid-eighth century, shōen (landed estates), one of the most important economic institutions in prehistoric Japan, began to rise as a result of the search for a more manageable form of landholding. Local administration gradually became more self-sufficient, while the breakdown of the old land distribution system and the rise of taxes led to

5670-488: The provinces was tenuous at best, however. In the ninth and tenth centuries, much authority was lost to the great families, who disregarded the Chinese-style land and tax systems imposed by the government in Kyoto. Stability came to Japan, but, even though succession was ensured for the imperial family through heredity, power again concentrated in the hands of one noble family, the Fujiwara. Following Kammu's death in 806 and

5751-525: The razing of two troublesome temples, Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji. The Taira were seduced by court life and ignored problems in the provinces, where the Minamoto clan were rebuilding their strength. In 1183, two years after Kiyomori's death, Yoritomo Minamoto dispatched his brothers Yoshitsune and Noriyori to attack Kyoto. The Taira were routed and forced to flee, and the Empress Dowager tried to drown herself and

5832-654: The shogunate. The entry of the warrior class into court influence was a result of the Hōgen Rebellion . At this time Taira no Kiyomori revived the Fujiwara practices by placing his grandson on the throne to rule Japan by regency. Their clan, the Taira , would not be overthrown until after the Genpei War , which marked the start of the Kamakura shogunate . The Kamakura period began in 1185 when Minamoto no Yoritomo seized power from

5913-493: The so-called Shōsōin documents ( 正倉院文書 ) . These are records written in the reverse side of the sutra or in the wrapping of imported items that survived as a result of reusing wasted official documents. Shōsōin documents contribute greatly to the historical research of Japanese political and social systems of the Nara period, and they even can be used to trace the development of the Japanese writing systems (such as katakana ). The first authentically Japanese gardens were built in

5994-442: The surface, the real power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan , a powerful aristocratic family who had intermarried with the imperial family . Many emperors had mothers from the Fujiwara family. The economy mostly existed through barter and trade, while the shōen system enabled the accumulation of wealth by an aristocratic elite. Even though the Heian period was one of national peace, the government failed to effectively police

6075-452: The territory, leading to frequent robberies of travellers. The Heian period was preceded by the Nara period and began in 794 AD after the movement of the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto), by the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu . Kammu first tried to move the capital to Nagaoka-kyō , but a series of disasters befell the city, prompting the emperor to relocate the capital a second time, to Heian. A rebellion occurred in China toward

6156-447: The throne until the reign of Emperor Go-Sanjō (1068–1073), the first emperor not born of a Fujiwara mother since the ninth century. Go-Sanjo, determined to restore imperial control through strong personal rule, implemented reforms to curb Fujiwara influence. He also established an office to compile and validate estate records with the aim of reasserting central control. Many shōen were not properly certified, and large landholders, like

6237-420: The villagers followed Shintō , a religion based on the worship of natural and ancestral spirits named kami . The capital at Nara was modeled after Chang'an , the capital city of the Tang dynasty . In many other ways, the Japanese upper classes patterned themselves after the Chinese, including adopting the Chinese writing system, Chinese fashion, and a Chinese version of Buddhism . Concentrated efforts by

6318-479: Was a key part of social interaction. Almost as important was the choice of calligraphy, or handwriting, used. The Japanese of this period believed handwriting could reflect the condition of a person's soul: therefore, poor or hasty writing could be considered a sign of poor breeding. Whether the script was Chinese or Japanese, good writing and artistic skill were paramount to social reputation when it came to poetry. Sei Shōnagon mentions in her Pillow Book that when

6399-404: Was abandoned, and district heads were allowed to establish private militia forces for local police work. Decentralization of authority became the rule despite the reforms of the Nara period. Eventually, to return control to imperial hands, the capital was moved in 784 to Nagaoka-kyō and in 794 to Heian-kyō (literally Capital of Peace and Tranquility), about twenty-six kilometers north of Nara. By

6480-490: Was called Tsukinowa no misasagi . Go-Momozono is also enshrined in Tsukinowa no misasagi along with his immediate Imperial predecessors since Emperor Go-Mizunoo -- Meishō , Go-Kōmyō , Go-Sai , Reigen , Higashiyama , Nakamikado , Sakuramachi , Momozono and Go-Sakuramachi . Nochi no Tsukinowa no Higashiyama no misasagi Kokaku and Ninko are enshrined at Nochi no Tsukinowa no misasagi ( 後月輪陵 ) and Komei

6561-597: Was uniquely Japanese. Hiragana gave written expression to the spoken word and, with it, to the rise in Japan's famous vernacular literature, much of it written by court women who had not been trained in Chinese as had their male counterparts. Three late-tenth-century and early-11th-century women presented their views of life and romance at the Heian court in Kagerō Nikki by "the mother of Fujiwara Michitsuna ", The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon and The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu . Indigenous art also flourished under

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