Emperor and Aristocracy in Heian Japan: 10th and 11th centuries Paperback – September 10, 2013

I read JB Sansom's Short Cultural History of Japan, and had to stop at the Heian period out of interest for more detail. This book was pretty much perfect for fulfilling that need. It centers around the political power of Michinaga no Fujiwara and his domination of the Heian court- but details the daily life and ritual of a highly inward facing aristocracy focused on religion, art, and notably, literature. This book effectively reads as something between an in-depth academic analysis and a more generally palatable overview.