Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Japanese monks returning from China established two new sects, Tendai (or Tenzai,
meaning Heavenly Terrace) and Shingon (True Words), that became the mainstays of
Japanese Buddhism. Soon other sects were springing up and temples were being enthusi-
astically built.
The Heian period is considered the apogee of Japanese courtly elegance, but in the
provinces a new power was on the rise - the samurai (warrior class), which built up its
armed forces to defend its autonomy. Samurai families moved into Kyoto, where they
muscled in on the court, and subsequent conflicts between rival military clans led to civil
wars. Members of the Fujiwara, Taira and Minamoto families attacked each other, claimed
control over conquered tracts of land and set up rival regimes. This was the beginning of a
long period of feudal rule by successive shÅgunates (samurai families). This feudal system
effectively lingered on for seven centuries until imperial power was restored in 1868.
