Page 58 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

56  INTRODUCING JAP AN

Court Life and The Tale of Genji (see pp182–3) grew militant in faceoffs
with other temples and the government,
Court life in Kyoto
focused on romance, creating armies of warrior-monks.
aesthetic pursuits, and Ironically, Buddhism’s abhorrence of
fastidious observation killing fed the nobility’s contempt for the
of precedent and ritual,
as docu mented in the farmer-warriors – the early samurai (see
Pillow Book of court lady pp58–9) – on the frontier, who bat tled the
Sei Shonagon in the late
10th century. The Tale indigenous Ainu people (see p291) and
Tale of Genji scroll of Genji, written in the each other. After 1100, the court could no
early 11th century by longer control infighting, and tensions rose
Sei Shonagon’s rival, Murasaki Shi kibu, a court
lady of the Fujiwara clan, is possibly the world’s between two clans of farmer-warriors from
oldest novel. It depicts the loves and sor rows the northeast: the Taira and the Minamoto.
of a fictitious prince, Genji, and, after he dies, By 1160, ruthless Taira no Kiyomori was
the amorous pursuits of a man whom Genji
mistakenly thought was his son. The story has been the most powerful man in Japan. But the
illustrated in countless scrolls and other media. Minamoto, led by the brothers Yoshit sune
and Yoritomo, fought back to defeat the
Heian Period Taira and establish the first military shogun-
The powerful Fujiwara family and Emperor ate at Kamakura (see pp138–41) in 1185.
Kammu built a new capital, Heian-kyo, now
Kyoto (see pp158–83), in 794. The new Kamakura Shogunate
system, also based on Chinese models, Deliberately basing his government far from
held that the land and people were the imperial court in the village of Kamakura,
ultimately the property of the emperor. Minamoto no Yoritomo carefully crafted
Tax-exempt status was granted to Buddhist a system that bene fited his bushi (warrior)
institutions, large landholders, and settlers peers and brought 150 years of relative
who would expand the state’s frontiers. peace and stability. Yoritomo’s direct heirs
Meanwhile, the Fujiwara clan gained were shoguns only in name, however, as
influence by acting as regents, and they were dominated by hereditary
intermarriage with the imperial family. re gents from the military Hojo family
A pattern emerged in which emperors of Kamakura. The Hojo assumed the
would abdicate, name a preroga tives of power while
younger successor, enter a granting the imperial
monastery, then exercise institution and nobility
power from behind the scenes. the privilege of signing
Buddhism’s influence Wooden statue of Minamoto no Yoritomo off on policy.
con tinued as proponents The Tale of the Heike,
such as Saicho adapt ed it, launching the a chronicle of the war between the Taira
Tendai, Shingon, and Pure-Land schools and Minamoto clans, was first recited to
(see p279). Powerful tem ples like Enryaku-ji biwa (lute) accompaniment at this time.

Toji temple
794 Heian-kyo 823 Kukai, leading 985 Genshin writes 1087 Emperor
(Kyoto) becomes proponent of Shingon tract promoting Pure- Shirakawa abdicates
capital, which it Buddhism, appointed Land Buddhism and becomes first
remains until 1868 head of Toji temple cloistered emperor
800 900 1000 1100

801 Warriors sent to 940 First uprising
Northern Honshu 866 First by a warrior c.1000 Tale of Genji
to battle Ezo tribes Fujiwara regent member of written by court lady
assumes post the Taira clan Murasaki Shikibu

056-057_EW_Japan.indd 56 08/08/16 3:06 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
History Portrait template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm