Heian-kyō (平安京, literally "tranquility and peace capital"), was one of several former names for the city now known as
Kyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area....
. It was the capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from
794-Asia:* Kyoto becomes the Japanese capital, ending the Nara period, and beginning the Heian period.-Europe:* Council of Frankfurt: oldest known mentioning of Frankfurt.* Vikings sack the Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey....
to 1868.
Emperor Kammuwas the 50th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 781 through 806.-Genealogy:...
established it as the capital in 794, moving the Imperial Court there from nearby
Nagaoka-kyōwas the capital of Japan from 784 to 794. Its location was reported as Otokuni District, Yamashiro Province, and Nagaokakyō, Kyoto, which took its name from the capital...
at the recommendation of his advisor
Wake no Kiyomarowas a high-ranking Japanese official during the Nara period. He was born in Bizen Province to a family of politically important, devoted Buddhists who hoped to keep Buddhism and politics separate through religious reform...
. Modelled after the
Tang DynastyThe Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
Chinese capital of
Chang'anChang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in the year 23 AD, the old name was restored...
(modern day
Xi'anXi'an , is the capital of the Shaanxi province in the People's Republic of China and a sub-provincial city...
), it remained the chief political center until 1185, when the samurai
Minamoto clanwas one of the honorary surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period on those of their sons and grandsons who were not considered eligible for the throne. The Taira were another such offshoot of the imperial dynasty...
took power, establishing the
Kamakura shogunateThe Kamakura shogunate was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura...
.
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Heian-kyō (平安京, literally "tranquility and peace capital"), was one of several former names for the city now known as
Kyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area....
. It was the capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from
794-Asia:* Kyoto becomes the Japanese capital, ending the Nara period, and beginning the Heian period.-Europe:* Council of Frankfurt: oldest known mentioning of Frankfurt.* Vikings sack the Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey....
to 1868.
Emperor Kammuwas the 50th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 781 through 806.-Genealogy:...
established it as the capital in 794, moving the Imperial Court there from nearby
Nagaoka-kyōwas the capital of Japan from 784 to 794. Its location was reported as Otokuni District, Yamashiro Province, and Nagaokakyō, Kyoto, which took its name from the capital...
at the recommendation of his advisor
Wake no Kiyomarowas a high-ranking Japanese official during the Nara period. He was born in Bizen Province to a family of politically important, devoted Buddhists who hoped to keep Buddhism and politics separate through religious reform...
. Modelled after the
Tang DynastyThe Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
Chinese capital of
Chang'anChang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in the year 23 AD, the old name was restored...
(modern day
Xi'anXi'an , is the capital of the Shaanxi province in the People's Republic of China and a sub-provincial city...
), it remained the chief political center until 1185, when the samurai
Minamoto clanwas one of the honorary surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period on those of their sons and grandsons who were not considered eligible for the throne. The Taira were another such offshoot of the imperial dynasty...
took power, establishing the
Kamakura shogunateThe Kamakura shogunate was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura...
. This period from 794–1185 is known as the
Heian periodThe is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyoto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Confucianism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
of Japanese history.
Though political power would be wielded by the samurai class over the course of three different
shogunates is a military rank and historical title for Hereditary Commanders in Chief of the Armed Forces of Japan. The modern rank is equivalent to a Generalissimo...
, 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, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the city of Tokyo in the eastern part of the prefecture, totaling over 8 million people....
in 1868, since there is no law which makes Tokyo the capital, there is a view that Kyoto legally or officially remains the
capitalTokyo, the seat of the Government of Japan and home of the Emperor, is the de-facto capital of Japan. This is generally not in dispute, but it is not legally defined. In fact, there is a dispute as to exactly when Tokyo became the capital. Some state that it occurred when Tokyo prefecture was...
even today.
Schematic diagram of Heian-kyō
Note that there are more paths cut short by residences straddling multiple blocks.
See also
- Heian Palace
The Heian Palace was the original imperial palace of Heian-kyō , the capital of Japan, from 794 to 1227. In Japan, this palace is called Daidairi...
- Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area....
- Chiteiki
, also known as Chitei no Ki, is one of the representative kanbun text of the mid Heian period. Belonging to the zuihitsu genre, it was written by Yoshinage no Yasutane in 982...
, a mid-Heian period text describing social issues within the capital