Heian-kyō (平安京, literally "tranquility and peace capital"), also known as Heian-jō (平安城), was the capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. It was located in central Kyoto. 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.[1] 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 took power, establishing the Kamakura shogunate. This period from 794–1185 is known as the Heian period of Japanese history. Though political power would be wielded by the samurai class over the course of three different shogunates, Kyoto remained the site of the Imperial Court and seat of Imperial authority, and thus remained the official capital. In fact, even after the imperial family and the government 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.
Overview edit
Heian-kyō was built on the land straddling Kadono District (ja:葛野郡) and Otagi District (ja:愛宕郡) in Yamashiro Province. These districts comprise what is now central Kyoto. The form of the city was a rectangle bounded by 4.5 km east-west streets and 5.2 km north-south streets. The Greater Palace (Daidairi) was built at the northern end of the city center. Suzaku Avenue, which was the central avenue leading to the imperial palace from the south, separated the city into the eastern and western halves, called Sakyō and Ukyō, respectively. This pattern of urban planning emulated the precedent of Heijō-kyō in Nara, based on the model of Chang'an, although both Nara and Kyoto lacked a city wall.
The ancient capital was smaller than the built-up area of Kyoto today. The northernmost street, Ichijō-ōji (一条大路), was in between Imadegawa Street (ja:今出川通) and Marutamachi Street (ja:丸太町通). The southernmost street, Kujō-ōji (九条大路), turned into Kujō Street (ja:九条通) to the south of JR Kyoto Station. The easternmost street, Higashikyōgoku-ōji (東京極大路), is Teramachi Street today. The westernmost street, Nishikyōgoku-ōji (西京極大路), is estimated to correspond to the straight line from Hanazono Station of the JR Sagano Line in the north to Nishikyogoku Station of the Hankyu Kyoto Line in the south.
京内は東西南北に走る大路・小路によって40丈（約120m）四方の「町」に分けられていた。東西方向に並ぶ町を4列集めたもの（北辺の2列は除く）を「条」、南北方向の列を4つ集めたものを「坊」と呼び、同じ条・坊に属する16の町にはそれぞれ番号が付けられていた。これによりそれぞれの町は「右京五条三坊十四町」のように呼ばれた。
道路の幅は小路でも4丈（約12m）、大路では8丈（約24m）以上あった。現存する京都市内の道路は、ほとんどの場所でこれよりずっと狭くなっている。朱雀大路に至っては28丈（約84m）もの幅があった。また、堀川小路と西堀川小路には並行して川（堀川、西堀川）が流れていた。
History edit
Emperor Kammu transferred the capital from Heijō-kyō to Nagaoka-kyō in 784. It is said that he intended to escape away from Yamato Province, which was a stronghold of Buddhist clergy and courtiers loyal to Emperor Tenmu and his successors, and establish a new city ruled by Emperor Tenji's lineage. However, in January 793, only nine years after the establishment of Nagaoka-kyō, Emperor Kanmu called up his retainers and declared that the capital would be moved again to the place called Kadono (葛野) in north Yamashiro Province, ten kilometers northeast of Nagaoka-kyō. Just before the relocation, he went to a hilltop vantage point called Shogunzuka (将軍塚) in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto and looked out over Kadono District in order to check if it was the proper location for the new capital. According to Nihongiryaku (ja:日本紀略), the emperor said that Kadono had beautiful mountains and rivers as well as land and water transportation routes which were convenient for people from different provinces.
It is believed that the emperor ordered to construct Daidairi before building the city. At the northern end of Suzaku Avenue, the Daigokuden (大極殿) or the Great Audience Hall was built. It was the main building within the Official Compound Chōdō-in (朝堂院), one of the three main structures within the Greater Palace, and was visible from everywhere in the city, signifying imperial authority. There were such riverside ports as Yodotsu (淀津) and Oitsu (大井津) from which food and other supplies were transported into the two large markets to serve the needs of the growing population.
Two canals, called Horikawa (堀川) and Nishihorikawa (西堀川), were built on the eastern and western sides of the city. The water volume of the the canals was adjusted to secure water supply and prevent flooding, which repeatedly plagued the residents of Nagaoka-kyo. The emperor permitted construction of Buddhist temples, which was not the case in Nagaoka-kyo. He invited Buddhist priests like Kukai who were knowledgeable about Buddhism but detached from any political power. He believed that the power of To-ji and Sai-ji could protect Kyoto from disasters and epidemics. The emperor moved to this capital on October 22, 794, and officially named it Heian-kyo on November 8.
また、長岡京で住民を苦しめた洪水への対策も講じ、都の中に自然の川がない代わりに東西にそれぞれ、水量の調整ができる人工の「堀川」（現在の堀川と西堀川）をつくり、水の供給を確保しながら洪水を抑えようとした。そして長岡京で認めなかった仏教寺院の建立を認める。仏教の知識と能力に優れ、政治権力とは無縁の僧である空海たちを迎え、東寺と西寺の力で災害や疫病から都を守ろうと考えた。 10月22日に桓武天皇は遷り、翌11月8日に「この都を平安京と名付ける」と詔を下す。
In 810, there was a movement to relocate the capital back to Heijō-kyō, following a conflict over imperial succession, but Emperor Saga insisted that Heian-kyo had to remain intact for the sake of national stability, and designated it as Yorozuyo-no-miya (万代宮, Eternal City), rejecting any move away from Kyoto.
In Ukyo, the marshland formed by the Katsura River hampered residential development, even in the 9th century. In the 10th century, when the Ritsuryo system almost completely lost substance, this area experienced urban decay and some parts were even converted into farmland, which was originally banned.
右京の地は桂川の形作る湿地帯にあたるため9世紀に入っても宅地化が進まず、律令制がほとんど形骸化した10世紀には荒廃して本来京内では禁じられている農地へと転用されることすらあった。貴族の住む宅地は大内裏に近い右京北部を除いて左京に設けられ藤原氏のような上流貴族の宅地が左京北部へ密集する一方、貧しい人々は平安京の東限を越えて鴨川の川べりに住み始め鴨川東岸には寺院や別荘が建設されて市街地がさらに東に広げられる傾向が生じた。 には朱雀大路の南端にある羅城門（羅生門）が倒壊し、以後再建されることはなかった。こうして次第に平安京の本来の範囲より東に偏った中世・近世の京都の街が形作られた。
平安京（京都）は、関東地方を基盤とする鎌倉幕府や江戸幕府の成立によって行政府としての機能を次第に失った。とくに室町時代から戦国時代にかけての時期は、応仁の乱にて市街地の過半を焼失し、衰退した。その後、平安京の市街地は、上京と下京に分かれて小規模なものとなっていた。これが再度一体の市街として復興に向かうのは安土桃山時代であり、織田信長の上洛後のことである。また明治維新の際には江戸を東京とすることにより遷都は避けられたものの、天皇の東京行幸で留守の都となった（→東京奠都）。以降、京都への還幸は延期されているが明治天皇の指示で皇居は保存され、天皇の在所を示す高御座も京都御所の紫宸殿に置かれている。
Name edit
平安京は後世においては音読みの「へいあんきょう」と読むが、当初は「たいらのみやこ」と訓読みした。普通、京の名前は地名を冠するのが一般的であるため本来なら「葛野京」（かどののみやこ）としても良かった。しかし長岡京での騒動が原因のひとつとして、再び遷都された理由により新京では悪いことが起こらず、「平らかで安らかな都」、「平安」（訓読みは「たいら」）であって欲しいという意味が込められている。
Schematic diagram of Heian-kyō edit
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 edit
The gates of the Daidairi are marked in Japanese. The romanization of those gate names are as follows:
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...... ...... ......
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1100th and 1200th anniversaries edit
その他 edit
- 「鳴くよ（794）ウグイス(若しくは泣くよ(794)坊さん)平安京」の年号語呂合わせは有名。
See also edit
- Heian Palace
- Kyoto
- Chiteiki, a mid-Heian period text describing social issues within the capital
- Heiankyo Alien
- Capital of Japan
- ja:平安仏教
- ja:条坊制
- ja:京都市内の通り
- ja:京都市平安京創生館
- ja:四堺
References edit
- ^ Hall, John Whitney (1988). The Cambridge History of Japan. Cambridge University Press. pp. 516–17. ISBN 0521223571.
External links edit
- 京都市 平安京創生館 - 平安京復元模型（1/1000）を展示。豊楽殿復元模型（1/20）、豊楽殿鴟尾実物大模型の他、平安時代の出土品を多数展示している。
- 京都市埋蔵文化財研究所（京都市考古資料館を含む） - 平安京の遺跡の調査。京都市考古資料館では平安京出土遺物を展示。