Kevin's World History: Fujiwara Japan (Heian)

Fujiwara Japan

I have just returned with pictures from my latest journey to Japan during the Heian period. During this time period Japan was ruled by the Fujiwara Family, who through the marrying of Fujiwara daughters to emperors gained power over many parts of Japan. The original founder of the Fujiwara Family was Nakatomi no Kamatari who was rewarded by Emporer Tenji with the honorific "Fujiwara", which evolved as a surname for Kamatari and his descendants. However, decline in food production, growth of the population, and competition for resources among the great families all led to the gradual decline of Fujiwara power and gave rise to military disturbances in the mid-tenth and eleventh centuries.

I got my camera and materials I needed for the trip and went back into my time machine. I carefully set the dial to 821 to the location of Heian, Japan and off I went flying back through time. There was the usual flash of light and the time machine came to a sudden and I stepped out into the sights and sounds of ancient Japan. The first thing that I saw and photographed was a statue of Buddha that was located in the middle of the city. I also photographed a Buddhist temple and different sacred grounds throughout the city. Buddhism was the main religion in Japan at this time and was widely practiced by the citizens of Heian.

I walked through the city for the next couple of hours taking pictures of different things I found interesting. The economy in Japan was very poor during this time period so many citizens lived in poverty. I photographed houses on the outskirts of the city made of clay, wood, and or tile and shoddily constructed. As I walked around longer I came across me in heavy metal body armor brandishing razor-sharp swords snuggly strapped around their waists. After further research I have identified these worriers as samurais who were soldiers that worked under nobles to fight and protect land against enemies. Once I finished photographing I got back in the time machine and set the dial to 4020 to return home once again.