The twelfth century witnessed the gradual decline of Heian court culture in Japan as warrior clans gained power, culminating in the Genpei War (1180-1185). Despite political changes, literary production continued, transitioning from courtly elegance to works reflecting martial values and Buddhist impermanence.

The transition from Heian to Kamakura periods produced literature balancing classical refinement with emerging warrior aesthetics. Works like Heike Monogatari, though completed later, drew on twelfth-century events and demonstrated how political upheaval transformed literary sensibilities toward themes of transience and karmic retribution.