During the Nara period (710 -784) large Buddhist monasteries were built in Nara.

The monasteries gained such strong political influence that, in order to protect the position of the emperor and central government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784, and finally to Heian  (Kyoto) in 794 where it should remain for over one thousand years.

The Heian period 794 - 1185

Comprehensive text about the Nara and Heian periods with many links to other Japanese periods and more links about Japanese religion, art, literature, and culture. in Japan.