Heian period

The Heian period was the last great division of classical Japanese history, beginning when the imperial court moved to Heian-kyo, the modern city of Kyoto, under Emperor Kanmu. For much of the period real power lay with the Fujiwara family, who ruled as regents for the emperors, while the aristocratic court cultivated refined arts and literature. The invention of the kana scripts allowed works in Japanese to flourish, including Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji and Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book. Buddhism developed new schools, such as Tendai and Shingon. Meanwhile, provincial warrior families grew in strength, and the conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans ended the era and led to the Kamakura shogunate.

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