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From approximately the seventh to ninth century A.D., Japan underwent many cultural and political changes, which have been attributed to foreign influences. This stage of history is commonly referred to as Japan’s “period of borrowing,” because it was during this time that many aspects of Chinese society were incorporated into Japanese institutions. The trend of cultural borrowing began roughly a century prior to the establishment of Nara, and was based on several Chinese influences including religion, city planning, politics, and education. The period of borrowing was a departure from early Chinese influence, in that the Japanese consciously and selectively emulated Chinese doctrine, rather than passively assimilating to the dominant Chinese culture. A breakdown of some of the borrowed elements of Chinese society can help better our understanding of the significance of this period. Japan emulated Chinese culture mainly due to the prosperity of the T’ang dynasty. The dynasty, which lasted from 618-907, is renowned as one of China’s two great golden ages. Like the golden age of Han before it, the T’ang dynasty flourished due to the reunification of the empire by its predecessors, the Sui dynasty. The Sui acc