During the 7th-8th centuries CE, Japan's imperial court in Nara was influenced by Chinese culture. The Taika Reforms of 646 aimed to restructure Japanese administration along Chinese lines. Aristocrats adopted Confucian customs and Buddhism spread among peasants, who combined Buddhist deities with Japanese nature spirits. In 784, the capital moved to Heian (Kyoto) to curb powerful Buddhist monks, but monasteries still grew in surrounding areas. The Heian period saw a luxurious imperial culture centered around poetry and courtly love.