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Heian-kyō (平安京, lit. "peaceful/tranquil capital") was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180.
The Heian period (平安時代, Heian jidai) is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. [1] It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). Heian (平安) means 'peace' in Japanese.
- Foundation
- Layout
- The Royal Palace
- Other Buildings
- Important Temples & Shrines
- Later History
During the Nara Period (710-794 CE) the Japanese imperial court was beset by rivalries between noble families and an excessive influence on policy from Buddhist sects whose temples were dotted around the capital. Emperor Kammu (r. 781-806 CE), wanting to start afresh, moved the capital from Narato Nagaokakyo on the Yodo River in 784 CE. However, Na...
Heiankyo means 'the capital of peace and tranquillity,' and it is the name given by Emperor Kammu in an official edict. However, from the 11th century CE, the city's longtime informal name meaning simply 'the capital city' was officially adopted: Kyoto. The city was now the centre of a government which consisted of the emperor, his high ministers, ...
The rectangular royal palace complex, known as the Greater Imperial Palace or Daidairi measured around 1.2 x 1.4 km (7% of the city's total area) and was entirely surrounded by a high earth wall with 14 gates, the most important of which was the Vermillion Sparrow Gate. Inside were 200 structures of one kind or another, including palace residence b...
Outside the palace complex, the aristocracy had palaces with their own carefully landscaped gardens and the Park of the Divine Spring (Shinsen'en) was built south of the Daidairi. This leisure park was 120,000 square meters or 30 acres in area and was dominated by a lake with a banqueting hall for royal ceremonies, the Celestial Presidence Pavillio...
With the emperor wary of undue influence, no Buddhist temples were permitted in the central part of the city and no clergy were permitted to relocate from Nara, although, Kammu did permit the construction of two temples either side of the city's Rashomon gate: the Sai-ji (West Temple) and To-ji (East Temple). The latter was expanded by the famous m...
The city continued to expand through the 11th and 12th centuries CE, especially to the north and east. Unfortunately for posterity, though, next to no ancient buildings survive in Kyoto today. The use of wood panelling and beams, bamboo blinds, and paper walls and screens in ancient Japanese architecture meant that buildings were particularly susce...
- Mark Cartwright
The Heian Palace (平安宮, Heian-kyū) was the original imperial palace of Heian-kyō (present-day Kyoto), then the capital of Japan. Both the palace and the city were constructed in the late 700s and were patterned on Chinese models and designs.
Apr 13, 2024 · The Heian era began in 794, when Emperor Kanmu decided to move the capital from Nara to Heian-kyō, present-day Kyoto. The move was motivated by the emperor's desire to distance himself from the growing influence of Nara's Buddhist monasteries. The new capital, whose name means "capital of peace and tranquility", was modeled on the Chinese ...
Aug 6, 2024 · Heian period, in Japanese history, the period between 794 and 1185, named for the location of the imperial capital, which was moved from Nara to Heian-kyō (Kyōto) in 794.
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Heian Shrine (平安神宮, Heian Jingū) has a relatively short history, dating back just over a hundred years to 1895. The shrine was built on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the capital's foundation in Kyoto and is dedicated to the spirits of the first and last emperors who reigned from the city, Emperor Kammu (737-806) and Emperor ...
