The Nara Period

The Nara Period, 710 to 794 CE, takes its name from Heijo-kyo, the permanent capital modeled on the Chinese Tang-dynasty capital of Chang'an that was established at modern Nara in 710, Japan's first fixed capital city rather than a court that relocated with each new emperor. The period saw the compilation of Japan's two oldest surviving chronicles, the Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720), which record the mythological and early historical origins of the imperial line, alongside the Man'yoshu, the oldest surviving major anthology of Japanese poetry. Buddhism became deeply entwined with state power during the period, most visibly in Emperor Shomu's construction of Todai-ji temple and its Great Buddha statue, completed in 752, intended to protect the nation through religious merit. Growing Buddhist institutional influence over the court was itself a factor in the decision to relocate the capital away from Nara in 784 and then to Heian-kyo in 794, ending the period.