Go is a fascinating game that, although created in China, has gained popularity and stability in Japan. Go planted its roots in the Heian period and grew from there. The Heian period, known as the Golden Age of Japan, was a very stable period with the imperial court at the height of its reign, especially in the early and middle years. Go provided a pleasant pastime and an opportunity for casual conversation that not only entertained in a stimulating manner, but at the same time maintained the cultured decorum of the era's ruling elite who were among its most common actors: the courtiers. From Go's early days in the Heian court, the concept of courtly decorum, diet, and dress served to facilitate his acceptance and popularity among these aristocrats. The Heian period was a very politically stable period. The period began with an emperor named Kammu (737-806 AD) who reigned from his father's death in 781 AD until his death in 806 AD (Shively and McCullough 20). Under Kammu's rule, the capital was moved from Nara to Kyoto, meaning that the new era he was heading towards could start anew, free from the influences that had been present in the old capital. This allowed Kammu to create the imperial court that would last until warrior class unrest forced it to fall in 1185 AD (Shively and McCullough 1). It was under this government that the life of the courtiers developed and developed. Go arrived in Japan shortly before the start of the Heian period. In Japan it is generally believed that a courtier named Kibi no Makibi introduced Go to Japan after returning from his post as ambassador to the Chinese court. However, this is not necessarily true, since the game was... middle of paper... After all, with over four thousand years of history and 400 years of history in Japan, Go had to have attracted the attention of its players.Works CitedGo (Weiqi, Baduk), game, ca. 2300 BC Murasaki, Shikibu. The Story of Genji. Trans. Royall Tyler. vol. 1 and 2. New York: Viking, 2001. Print.Sei, Shōnagon. The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon. Ed. Ivan I. Morris. Trans. Ivan I. Morris. New York: Columbia UP, 1991. Print.Grant, Andrew. 400 years of travel in Japan. Richmond, Virginia: Slate & Shell, 2003. Print.Myers, Robert T., and Sangit Chatterjee. "Science, culture and the game of Go". Science and Culture vol. 69 (2003). May 8, 2010. Web.Shively, Donald H. and William H. McCullough, eds. The Cambridge History of Japan. vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1999. Print.Hotta, Yumi, and Takeshi Obata. Hikaru don't go. San Francisco: VizMedia, 2004-2011. Press.