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During the Nara era (710-794 A.D.), Chinese culture continued to influence Japan. Chinese became the language of business and government. A new religion, Confucianism, was introduced from China. The Japanese built a new imperial capital in Heijokyo (present-day Nara). This was Japan’s first permanent capital, and the Japanese modeled it after the Chinese capital. Nara soon became a powerful city with nearly 200,000 people, many of whom worked in government. The new government produced coins and collected taxes from farmers. In time, the imperial government tightened its grip on the people. This led to warfare as various members of the imperial family and other leading families fought for power and influence. Other problems arose as farmers could not pay their taxes and began to lose their lands. This caused a shortage of tax money, which caused the government to reduce its military strength. Decreased military strength, in turn, led to the formation of local armies.All of these factors led to a decline of Nara’s imperial rule.
In an effort to regain control, Japan’s rulers moved the capital from Nara to Nagaoka in 793. One year later, government leaders moved the capital again, this time to Heiankyo, a city whose name means “capital of peace and tranquility.” Eventually the name was shorted to Heian. Heian later became the modern city of Kyoto. Heian, like Nara, was modeled after Chinese capitals. This city served as the imperial capital of Japan for over 1,000 years until the Meiji restoration moved the seat of government to Tokyo in 1868. The Heian era saw great advancements in literature, art, and religion. The Fujiwara family controlled the imperial court and was highly influential during this era. Through strategic marriages, they developed broad political control that reached a pinnacle of power under Regent Fujiwara Michinaga around 1016. Eventually, their reach extended too far. They were unable to manage the distant regions, which often felt neglected. Thus, some families were allowed to possess large land estates in an effort to relieve the central government of its obligations to outlying regions.At the same time, these upper-class landowners gained political and economic power.
Decline of the Heian period started when problems arose, such as corruption among local officials. With the central government in decline, local clans started to advance their own military efforts. These developments were designed to bring about more control at the local level. Unfortunately, once these armies formed, the local clans started fighting among themselves in what has been called the Gempei Wars (1180–1185).The wars were essentially battles to establish supremacy. Eventually, two families—the Taira and the Minamoto—fought for dominance. A key naval battle occurred in the Shimonoseki Straits in 1185. In the Battle of Dannoura, the Minamoto leader Yoritomo defeated the Taira. This was a turning point in the Gempei Wars and marked the end of the Heian era.
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