Empires in East Asia
In the late 700s, the imperial court decided to move their capital from Nara to Heian, of the modern day Kyoto. Many of Japan's upper class families moved to Heian as well. Among this upper class in Heian, a highly refined society arose. The era of Japanese history that this is associated with is the Heian Period (794-1185). The men and women of the land filled their days with rituals and artistic pursuits. Rules were a big part of the average day, and dictated every aspect of the court life. Etiquitte was very important, as laughing wasn't even allowed in public.
The best accounts of this time were found in the ladies diaries from court. During this period, the central government of Japan was extremely strong. For most of the period, the rich Fujiwara family held the actual power of Japan. In the middle of the eleventh century, the power of the central government and the Fujiwaras began to slip. Landowners from farther away set up private armies. The countryside was lawless and very dangerous. For safety, farmowners exchanged their land for protection from warlords. With more land the lords were able to gain more power. This was the true beginning of a feudal system in China.
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