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Timeline of Japanese History Part 2: The Heian Period

Life in Japan changed drastically after the Jōmon period due to the arrival of wet-rice cultivation from China and the production of bronze and iron (the Yayoi period). As surplus wealth amassed across the land, local chieftains began wielding power and authority, with this marking the formation of Japan’s ancient state (the Kofun period). Ties with the continent deepened thereafter, with Japan entering into cultural and human exchanges with the rest of the East Asian region. One result was Japan’s acceptance of Buddhism, a truly global religion. Over the 6th and 7th centuries, a centralized state then emerged in the Kinki region and it established a governance structure (the ritsuryō system) based on Chinese legal systems, with this nascent state taking the name “Nihon,” the Japanese name for Japan (the Asuka and Nara periods).

The subsequent Heian period lasted around 400 years. It began when the capital relocated from Heijō-kyō (modern-day Nara, Nara Prefecture) to Nagaoka-kyō (an area in modern-day Kyoto Prefecture spanning the cities of Mukō and Nagaokakyō and Kyoto city’s Nichikyō ward) in 784. It lasted until the downfall of the powerful Taira clan in 1185 (there are several hypotheses about when this period ended, though most point to the end of the 12th century). The capital only remained in Nagaoka-kyō for ten years before moving again to Heian-kyō (Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture) in 794. Apart from a brief temporary relocation, the capital remained in this area for over 1,100 years, until Tokyo assumed the mantle in 1868.

The Heian period marked the transition from Ancient to Medieval Japan. The ritsuryō system with the Emperor at its center still prevailed at the start at this period. However, things changed in the late 9th century when the Fujiwara, an aristocratic clan with maternal ties the Emperor, began wielding real power while nominally serving at the Emperor’s advisors. In the 10th century, armed warlords and fighters rose to prominence in regions across Japan. A courtly culture then bloomed in the capital in the 11th century, as epitomized by novels like The Tale of Genji and Tale of Flowering Fortunes. Yet this was also believed to be a degenerate age, with nobles building many magnificent Buddhist temples and statues in the hope of being reborn in the Buddhist Pure Land. From the late 11th century, Japan was effectively governed by cloistered emperors (retired emperors ruling behind the scenes). However, the Imperial family and the Fujiwara clan built up powerful warrior groupings (the Taira and Minamoto clans) to serve as their own military forces. In this way, the warrior class (samurai) became involved in politics, with the Taira clan subsequently seizing the reins of power in the late 12th century. From that moment, the warrior class effectively ruled Japan until the end of the Edo period (1603–1868).

Byōdō-in Temple’s Phoenix Hall (1053, National Treasure)

Located on the left bank of Uji river, Byōdō-in Temple was originally a rural villa used by the nobility. It was converted into a temple by Fujiwara no Yorimichi, a powerful aristocrat who served as imperial regent and advisor for close to 50 years. The mid-Heian period was believed to be a degenerate age, when Buddhist law was in decline. In response, nobles tried to recreate the Buddhist Pure Land in this world by building splendiferous temples enshrined with radiant golden images of the buddha Amida (Skt. Amitābha). The inner walls of Byōdō-in’s Phoenix Hall are festooned with 52 statues of praying bodhisattvas on clouds and paintings of Amida’s Pure Land. The building materials are also covered with vivid rainbow coloring and hōsōge flower patterns, while the ceilings and large tie beams are adorned with carvings and mirrors, with the Heian-period’s finest architecture, sculpture, painting and decorative arts on display in this lavish recreation of the Pure Land.

National Institutes for Cultural Heritage Tokyo National Museum

Tokyo National Museum: TNM Collection Exhibitions
The Tokyo National Museum (TNM) was established in 1872 (Meiji 5) and the national museum with the longest history in Japan. TNM’s collection totals more than 120,000 items, including 89 National Treasures and 653 Important Cultural Properties (as of April 2025), with TNM also houses numerous cultural properties on long-term loan from individuals, temples, and shrines, for example. These are displayed in the museum’s Japanese Gallery (Honkan), the Asian Gallery (Toyokan), the Heiseikan Japanese Archaeology Gallery, The Gallery of Horyu-ji Treasures, and the Kuroda Memorial Hall. In particular, treasures from the Jōmon period through to the Edo period can be viewed in chronological order in the Japanese Gallery. Artworks from the Heian period are mainly displayed on the second floor of the Japanese Gallery in Room 3 (“The Arts of Buddhism | 8th–16th century” and “The Arts of the Imperial Court | 8th–16th century”).

The Bodhisattva Fugen

Heian period/12th century, National Treasure, Tokyo National Museum

This is one of the finest masterpieces of Heian-period Buddhist painting. Fugen Bosatsu (Skt. Samantabhadra) ranks alongside Monju Bosatsu (Skt. Mañjuśrī) as one of the most important bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is shown here riding a white elephant as blossoms silently cascade from the heavens. The exquisite brushwork gives rise to an ethereal beauty, with Fugen depicted gazing downwards with hands pressed together, his white skin tinged with vermilion. Fugen’s garments, the halo behind him, the elephant’s saddle and other areas also feature intricate designs rendered in finely-cut, gossamer-like strands of gold leaf.
https://colbase.nich.go.jp/collection_items/tnm/A-1?locale=en

Cosmetic Box with Carriage Wheels in Water

Heian period/12th century, National Treasure, Tokyo National Museum

This is a masterpiece of maki-e, a lacquerware technique that flourished during the late Heian period. It features a design of carriage wheels in water. Back then, the nobility travelled around in ox carriages, with the wooden carriage wheels purportedly soaked in streams to prevent them from drying out and cracking. The box is decorated with maki-e, which involves drawing motifs in lacquer and sprinkling gold powder on top before the lacquer dries, with flattened pieces of mother-of-pearl also adhered to the surface.
https://colbase.nich.go.jp/collection_items/tnm/H-4282?locale=en

* Though the two items above belong to TNM’s collection, they are not always on display, so please check TNM’s website for information about exhibits before you visit. https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_exhibition/index.php?controller=hall&hid=12