ShintoismShintoism is the aboriginal spirituality followed by the Japanese people. In the 8th century, Shinto practices were first recorded in codified archives of the history of Nihon Shoki and Kojiki. Today, Shintoism is a term related to community shrines associated with various human ceremonies such as historical monuments, marriage, harvest festivals, and worship. People who practice Shinto express their varied values ​​through a standard means of communication and activities, implementing a dress code and similar ancient rituals. There are two main branches of Buddhism and Mahayana is one of them. The term Mahayana means great vehicle. The origin of Mahayana Buddhism is India (Mason & Caiger 98). Of the two major Buddhist traditions existing today, Mahayana is the greatest. The Mahayana traditions teach that tradition is a path of seeking absolute enlightenment for the benefit of all mortal beings. Mahayana is also called Bodhisattvayana (Mason & Caiger 98). The history of Mahayana shows the spread of the tradition from India to other Asian countries. The traditions of Mahayana Buddhism still exist today. The Heian period is a historical period in Japanese history, which took place between the years 794 and 1185. During this period, Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese traditions were at their peak (Morton & Olenik 23) . The Heian period is named after the capital Heian-kvo, the modern city of Kyoto. It was also the height of the Japanese imperial court. This period is known for its literature, art, and poetry (Morton & Olenik 23). During this period, the imperial house held power, although the real power was held by the noble Fujiwara clan who had intermarried with the Japanese emperor. In Japanese, the term Heian means peace and tranquility. The establishment of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan occurred after the defeat of the then-ruling Taira clan in the Genpei War. The Kamakura shogunate was ruled by shoguns (Mason & Caiger 158). Shoguns were hereditary military dictators of Japan. The shogunate was based in Kamakura and controlled the entire nation. Court Life in Heian Japan The Heian period saw the Fujiwara clan hold true power. The Fujiwala clan was noble and therefore had great influence on politics and culture in Japan (Mason & Caiger 249). The lives of noble families focused on good manners and beauty, guided by a powerful civil code called miyabi. At the Kyoto court, etiquette, appearance, and self-discipline were emphasized (Mason & Caiger 106).