Aristocracy did truly believe in the power of the Buddhist rituals. During wars, leaders tried to avoid battling on the days of major Buddhist holidays. People who wished to gain merit would write out copies of the sutras, often burying the copies in sealed jars. Just as Buddhist blessings were believed to bring good luck, Buddhist curses were believed to bring bad luck. On at least two occasions, people were exiled on suspicion of casting curses on members of the aristocracy. Temples often spent large portions of time conducting exorcisms of angry spirits. Religious leaders felt that one of the primary purposes of Buddhism was to protect the state, both by getting rid of negative cosmic influences and by increasing positive cosmic influences.

Buddhism affected the thought of the aristocracy in another way. There was a Buddhist theory that after the historical Buddha died, his teachings would gradually deteriorate. First there would be a period in which the teaching, practice, and attainment of Buddhist doctrines would be possible. Then there would be a period where the teaching and practice would exist, but attainment would be impossible. Finally, there would be a period where only the teachings would be left, but practice and attainment would both be impossible. This last period was called mappo. By Japanese calculations, the period of mappo started in 1052 (or 1055, depending on which book you look at). The idea that the world had entered a degenerate age of mappo was easily adopted by the aristocracy. The degeneracy of the age was amply demonstrated by the confusions caused by the soldier-monks.

Buddhist doctrine, particularly the teaching of karma, also caused an emphasis on the impermanence of all things. This was played out in the aesthetic arena, particularly in poetry. Images such as the dropping of a cherry blossom were popular. The sense that everything was impermanent heightened the sense that one must relish the pleasures of the moment. A refined sense of bittersweet pathos was typical of the writings of the aristocracy. Belief in mappo increased the sense of pathos.

Unfortunately, the belief that one should relish the pleasures of the moment in the twelfth century led to aesthetic appreciation degenerating into pure hedonism.

Upheaval in the Second Half of the Century

Thus, by the middle of the twelfth century, Japan's imperial court was controlled by hedonistic aristocrats who had almost no control over the rest of the country. Even the religions, which had been one of the last arenas decisively under imperial control, were now becoming uncontrollable due to the rampages of violent bands of soldier-monks. The imperial government was weakened by the inattention of governmental officials to their posts and by the loss of revenue caused by the unchecked increase in tax-exempt lands. The outlying regions of the country were controlled by local chieftains who ruled by force of military power. As the real power in the land lay with the warrior class, or samurai, it is not surprising that they began to claim more of the central power. How did this change in the central power structure take place?

It began in the 1150s. In 1156, due to an incredibly complicated set of venomous political maneuverings, there was a battle between members of the imperial court. This is known as the Hogen disturbance. Two clans of warriors, the Taira and the Minamoto, fought in the disturbance on the same side. Both served equally well. However, because they had stronger political connections, the Taira were more richly rewarded for their service. (It was rumored that an important member of the Taira clan was the illegitimate son of a powerful past emperor.) This inequality led to increasing friction between the two clans.

The Taira gradually increased their involvement in the imperial court. They were appointed to high level governmental positions. Their power slowly increased. They managed to get a Taira daughter appointed as a consort of the emperor. She gave birth to a son, and the Taira hoped that this son could be made the emperor, who could then be controlled by the Taira. Other members of the court were unhappy about the Taira's rise to power, and tried to undermine the clan. The resulting confusion eventually led to a full scale war, which lasted from 1180 to 1185. The Minamoto clan, who did not like the Taira, offered to fight against them, and were eagerly accepted by the opponents of the Taira. The war was long and fierce, and resulted in the complete defeat of the Taira.

Once the Minamoto had triumphed, they were not content to merely return to their own lands just as before. Immediately after the war there were several years of chaos in which the Minamoto leader, Yoritomo, consolidated his position, killing off all potential military threats. Finally, in 1192, he got the emperor to appoint him seiitaishogun. This made him officially the supreme military commander and constable in the land. He set up an administration in the