Heian-kyō (平安京, literally "tranquility and peace capital"), was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180.

Emperor Kammu established it as the capital in 794, moving the Imperial Court there from nearby Nagaoka-kyō at the recommendation of his advisor Wake no Kiyomaro and marking the beginning of the Heian period of Japanese history. Modelled after the Tang Dynasty Chinese capital of Chang'an (modern day Xi'an), it remained the chief political center until 1185, when the samurai Minamoto clan defeated the Taira clan in the Genpei War, moving administration of national affairs to Kamakura and establishing the Kamakura shogunate.

Though political power would be wielded by the samurai class over the course of three different shogunates, Heian remained the site of the Imperial Court and seat of Imperial power, and thus remained the official capital. In fact, even after the seat of Imperial power was moved to Tokyo in 1868, since there is no law which makes Tokyo the capital, there is a view that Kyoto legally or officially remains the capital even today.

Description

Heian-kyō was built in what is now the central part of Kyoto city covering an area spanning Yamashiro kuni’s Kadono gun and Otagi gun (kuni and gun are different types of administrative district in use between the Nara and Meiji periods.) The city boundaries formed a rectangle measuring 4.5 km from East to West and 5.2 km from North to South. The city layout followed Heijō-kyō (Japan’s capital during the Nara period) with the Imperial palace (Daidairi) placed in the centre of the Northern city limits and the Suzaku-oji main thoroughfare extending from the palace down through the centre of the city, dividing it into the Right and Left Capitals (the Eastern side being the Left and the Western side being the Right.) The design followed Sui and Tang dynasty Changan with the exception that Heian-kyō had no city walls. It is thought that the site for the city was selected according to the principles of Shijinsoō based on Chinese Feng shui ( Shijinsoō lit. “Four God Suitability” relates to the Four Symbols of Chinese Astrology.)

The boundaries of Heian-kyō were smaller than those of modern Kyoto with Ichijo-oji at the Northern limit corresponding to present-day Ichijo-dori between Imadegawa-dori and Marutamachi-dori , Kyujo-oji in the South corresponding to Kyujo-dori slightly to the South of the present-day JR Kyoto Station and Higashi-kyogoku-oji in the East corresponding to present-day Teramachi-dori. The location of Nishi-kyogoku-oji at the Western limit is estimated as a line running North to South from Hanazono station on the JR Sanin line to Nishi-kyogoku station on the Hankyu Kyoto line.

The layout of Heian-kyō was plotted in accordance with the principles of geomancy as a square city. Jo (丈, 3.03 meters) was the basic unit of measurement. 40² Jo (丈) made a Cho (町, 121.2 meters on each side). The city was further divided by major streets called Oji (大路) and minor streets called Koji (小路). Four lines of Cho running East to West (excepting the first 2 rows in the North) were together called a “Jo” (条) and four lines of Cho running from North to South were called a “Bo” (坊) The Cho which shared the same Jo and Bo were each given a number from 1 to 16. In this way addresses could be identified as follows: "Right Capital, Jo Five, Bo Ten, Cho Fourteen" (右京五条三坊十四町)

The width of even the minor streets was 4 Jo (丈, about 12m) and for the major streets over 8 Jo (丈, about 24m.) Almost all of the streets in present-day Kyoto have become considerably narrower. Suzaku-oji for example was 28 Jo (丈, about 84m) wide. In addition a river ran alongside Horikawa-koji and Nishi-horikawa-koji.

History

In 784 A.D. emperor Kammu constructed Nagaoka-kyō, moving the capital from Heijō-kyō. It is thought that he wished to build a new, Tenchi faction capital far from Yamato kuni which was the power base for the temples and aristocrats who supported the Tenmu faction. However only 9 years later in January of 793 A.D. the Kammu emperor assembled his retainers and announced another relocation of the capital (for the reason see the entry on Nagaoka-kyō.) The location for the new capital was to be Kadono located between two rivers in the north of Yamashiro kuni, ten kilometres to the North East of Nagaoka-kyō. It is said that the Emperor Kammu had previously looked out on Kadono from the Shogun Tsuka in Kyoto city's Higashiyama district, deciding then that it was a suitable location for the capital. Emperor Kammu's words are recorded in the Nihon Giryaku as follows: “Kadono has beautiful mountains and rivers as well as good transport links by sea and land making it convenient for people to assemble there from all four corners of the country.”

It is thought that the construction of Heian-kyō began from the palace, with the construction of the remainder of the city following afterwards. As a display of the emperor's authority the Daigokuden (main building of the palace) was constructed at the far north of the central thoroughfare, Suzaku-oji, making the building visible from anywhere in the city. Ports such as Yodonotsu and Ooitsu were set up along the river next to the city. These ports acted as a transit base for collecting in goods from all over the country and for forwarding them on to the city. The goods which arrived in Heian-kyō reached the people by way of one of the two large markets (the East market and the West market.) This arrangement provided a stable supply of food and goods which encouraged population growth. Measures were also taken to guard against the flooding which had plagued the residents of Nagaoka-kyō. Although there was no natural river in the centre of Heian-kyō, two artificial canals (the present day Horikawa and Nishi Horikawa) were dug whose water level could be adjusted, simultaneously securing a supply of water and guarding against flooding. It was also permitted to construct Buddhist temples in Heian-kyō, something which had been forbidden in Nagaoka-kyō. It was thought that the power of the East and West temples might protect the city from natural disaster and disease, and priests like Kukai were welcomed, being able men, well versed in Buddhist scripture and with no interest in political power. On 22 October 794 A.D. the emperor Kammu arrived at the new city and on 8 November proclaimed “I hereby name this city Heian-kyō.”

A movement in favour of returning the capital to Heijō-kyō arose in 810 A.D. during a standoff over the emperor's succession. However, Emperor Saga thought that keeping the capital in Heian-kyō would be best for the stability of the country and resisted this movement, naming Heian-kyō "Yorozuyo no Miya" (the eternal city.)

The land of the Right Capital overlapped the wetlands formed by the Katsura River and even by the 9th century little progress had been made in developing the area. By the 10th century when the Ritsuryō system was almost at an end, the district had become so dilapidated that it began to be used as farmland, something which had previously been forbidden within the city limits. With the exception of an area in the north of the Right Capital near to the palace, the residential areas which housed the aristocracy were all situated in the Left Capital, with the highest echelon of aristocrats such as the Fujiwara clan gathering in the northernmost part of the district. The poor of Heian-kyō began to set up home by the Kamogawa river, beyond the eastern limits of the city, and on the Eastern banks of the river temples and country homes sprung up. So started a tendency for the city to extend out to the East. In 980 A.D. at the southern tip of Suzaku-oji the Rashōmon (the grandest of the two city gates) collapsed never to be rebuilt. In this way the original borders of Heian-kyō extended out to the East forming the streets of first medieval and then modern day Kyoto.

With the advent of the Kanto centred Kamakura and Edo Shogunate, Heian-kyō began to lose its significance as a seat of power. The greatest decline was during the Muromachi and Sengoku periods when almost half the city was burnt to the ground during the Onin war. After this Heian-kyo separated into upper and lower cities each becoming places of little note. However the two were to be reunited into one city during the Azuchi Momoyama period following the ascension of Nobunaga Oda. During the Meiji Revolution Edo was re-christened Tokyo (becoming the new capital of Japan). Although Heian-kyo lost its status as capital city it became a backup capital while the emperor was away in Tokyo. Since that time the emperor has not returned to Kyoto, however at the direction of the Emperor Meiji the imperial residences have been preserved and the Takamikura (a special throne whose location traditionally marked the seat of the emperor) remains at the palace in Kyoto.

Schematic diagram of Heian-kyō

The green areas in the diagram are markets, temples and a garden. There were two large markets, West Market(西市) and East Market(東市), facing the seventh street, Shichijō-ōji (七条大路). Tō-ji (東寺, "East Temple") and Sai-ji (西寺, "West Temple") were Buddhist temples built on the southern edge of the capital. An imperial garden called Shinsenen (:ja:神泉苑) was adjacent to the Daidairi.

Note that there were more paths cut short by residences straddling multiple blocks.

Gates

The gates of the Daidairi are marked in Japanese. The romanization of those gate names are as follows:

South side (east to west):

* Bifuku-mon

* Suzku-mon

* Kōga-mon

West side (south to north):

* Datten-mon

* Sōheki-mon

* Impu-mon

* Jōsai-mon

North side (west to east):

* Anka-mon

* Ikan-mon

* Tatchi-mon

East side (north to south):

* Jōtō-mon

* Yōmei-mon

* Taiken-mon

* Ikuhō-mon

...... ......

Mibu

Sujzaku-ōji

Kōgamon-ōji

......

Ōimikado

Nakamikado

Konoye

Tushimikado

...... ...... ...... ...... ......

Tushimikado

Konoye

Nakamikado

Ōimikado

Map

Below is a 1696 map of Kyoto, known as Genroku 9 Kyoto Daiezu (元禄九年京都大絵図) held by the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken).

See also

Heian Palace

Kyoto

Chiteiki, a mid-Heian period text describing social issues within the capital

References

Category:794 establishments Category:Former capitals of Japan Category:Kyoto

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