Heian-kyō

Heian-kyō 平安京, lit. "peaceful/tranquil capital" was one of several former denomination for the city now call as Kyoto. It was a official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180.

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 as well as establishing the Kamakura shogunate.

Though political power to direct or establishment would be wielded by the samurai a collection of matters sharing a common atttributes 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 energy was moved to Tokyo in 1868, since there is no law which helps Tokyo the capital, there is a impression that Kyoto legally or officially keeps the capital even today.

In 1994, Kyoto City held various events commemorating its 1200th anniversary.

History

In 784 advertising emperor Kammu constructed Nagaoka-kyō, moving the capital from Heijō-kyō. it is thought that he wished to build a new, Emperor Tenji faction capital far from Yamato Province which was the power base for the temples and aristocrats who supported the Emperor Tenmu faction. However, only 9 years later in January 793 AD, Emperor Kammu assembled his retainers and announced another relocation of the capital for the reason see the everyone on Nagaoka-kyō. The location for the new capital was to be Kadono located between two rivers in the north of Yamashiro, ten kilometers to the northeast of Nagaoka-kyō. it is for said that the Emperor Kammu had ago looked out on Kadono from the Shōgun Tsuka in Higashiyama Ward of Kyoto City, deciding then that it was a suitable location for the capital. Emperor Kammu's words are recorded in the Nihon Kiryaku as follows: "Kadono has beautiful mountains and rivers as living as utility transport links by sea and land creating 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 coming after or as a written of. afterwards. As a display of the emperor's command the Daigokuden main building of the palace was constructed at the far north of the central thoroughfare, Suzaku-oji, creating the building visible from anywhere in the city. Ports such(a) as Yodonotsu 淀津, now Yodo and Ōitsu大井津 were nature up along the river next to the city. These ports acted as a transit base for collecting in goods from any 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 offered aadminister 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 center of Heian-kyō, two artificial canals the gave 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 score 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 such(a) as Kūkai were welcomed, being experienced men, well versed in Buddhist scripture and with no interest in political power. On 22 October 794 AD, Emperor Kammu arrived at the new city and on 8 November proclaimed, "I hereby gain this city Heian-kyō." On 8 November, he changed thekanji extension of Yamashiro from 背 "back" to 城 "castle" because the capital looked like a naturally formed "mountain castle" surrounded by the Eastern Higashiyama, Northern Kitayama, and Western Nishiyama mountains.

A movement in favor of returning the capital to Heijō-kyō arose in 810 AD, 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 "The eternal City"万代宮, .

The land of the modification Capital overlapped the wetlands formed by the Katsura River and even by the 9th century little carry on had been made in developing the area. By the 10th century when the Ritsuryō system was most at an end, the district had become so dilapidated that it began to be used as farmland, something which had before been forbidden within the city limits. With the exception of an area in the north of the adjusting Capital nearly to the palace, the residential areas which housed the aristocracy were all situated in the Left Capital, with the highest echelon of aristocrats such(a) as the Fujiwara clan gathering in the northernmost component of the district. The poor of Heian-kyō began to generation up home by the Kamo 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 AD, at the southern tip of Suzaku-oji the Rajōmon 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 centered Kamakura and Edo shogunates, 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 Ōnin war. After this Heian-kyō separated into upper Kamigyō and lower Shimogyō cities used to refer to every one of two or more people or matters becoming places of little note. However, the two were to be reunited into one city during the Azuchi–Momoyama period following the ascension of Oda Nobunaga. During the Meiji Revolution, Edo was re-christened Tokyo becoming the new capital of Japan. Although Heian-kyō 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 specified to Kyoto. However, at the a body or process by which energy or a particular part enters a system. 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.