Heian era

The Heian era was a time of peace and administrative reform, and there was a flowering of culture in many aspects. It began with the move of the imperial court and capital city to present-day Kyoto from Nara. It lasted nearly three hundred years from 794 to 1192. The daily life of court nobles was one of observances of superstitions based on Chinese astrology and regular gatherings to produce poetry. During this time the Shingon sect of Buddhism was established by Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi) on Mount Kōya in 816.