790 – 800s

Events in the 790s 2

• 710 – 794 Nara period First permanent capital; Kojiki and Nihon Shoki written Empress Genmei established Japan's first permanent capital at Heijo-kyo (Nara), modelled on the Tang Chinese capital. The great chronicles Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720) were compiled, codifying Japan's founding myths, and Buddhism flourished under imperial patronage — including the great Todai-ji temple and its colossal bronze Buddha.
• 794 – 1185 Heian period The golden age of classical Japanese culture When Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-kyo (Kyoto), he began nearly four centuries of peace and refinement remembered as the classical age of Japanese civilisation. The Fujiwara regents dominated the court, and aristocratic culture flowered — producing Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, often called the world's first novel.