During the late Heian period (AD 1000-1185) the increasing sophistication of court culture promoted the development of a distinctively Japanese taste. In painting, Yamato-e used richly coloured pigments to depict the natural landscape and flowering plants of Japan rather than the dramatic mountain forms of Chinese painting. The ceremonies and rituals of court life and the rural activities of the twelve months also became themes in painting.

Many aspects of literature also became more ‘Japanese’, such as the use of native themes in poetry (famous places and the four seasons), and the 31-syllable waka ('Japanese poem'). A new phonetic script was developed which was more suitable for expressing the sounds of the Japanese language, although it used a form of Chinese characters.

Narrative paintings in the long, horizontal handscroll format told Japanese tales and employed different styles. Thick layers of opaque pigments and restrained, stylised figures were used for court tales, while washes of colour and a more expressive, animated delineation were used for historical accounts or stories of religious figures.

In ceramics, there was a move away from the three-colour ware that copied Chinese sancai, to green-glazed works inspired by Chinese celadon pieces. Shades from yellow to dark green were obtained by various glaze mixes and multiple firings.