The Kiyomizu Stage at a Thousand-Year-Old Temple

To see Tang Dynasty architecture and culture in Japan, visit Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka. Known as the Kansai Iron Triangle, this region was Japan's political and cultural heart from the Kofun period until the capital moved to Tokyo in 1860. The introduction of Chinese Buddhism and Buddhist architecture brought the Kofun period to a close, and envoys were sent to the Sui and Tang courts to study Chinese institutions, culture, and architecture, laying the groundwork for Japan's feudal system.

Japan's modern era began with the Meiji Restoration and the establishment of Tokyo as the capital.