| 3. Identification a) History |
Kyoto was founded as the capital of Japan in 794 A.D. and was known as Heian-kyo. From the time of its foundation, it remained the Imperial capital for over a thousand years and prospered as the center of Japanese Culture. Located in a basin, Kyoto is surrounded by beautiful mountains to the east, north and west. The central part of the city was often destroyed by fires and civil wars, and as a result many of the surviving cultural properties are found around the edge of the city in the foothills and within the mountains. Most of the cultural properties located in the central area were constructed in the late 16th century or later. The "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto", which are being nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List, comprise a set of 17 historic monuments. These historic monuments considered all together as a set vividly characterize the ancient capital of Kyoto. It is crucial to view these cultural properties collectively in order to develop a clear understanding of Kyoto's history and culture as an ancient capital. The followings is an outline of the history of Kyoto from the time of its foundation as Heian-kyo (cf. Appendix 4 : Chronological table of Kyoto). <HEIAN PERIOD 794-1184> The capital of Japan was located in Heijo-kyo (present-day Nara) from 710 to 784. In order to resolve political difficulties, and to relieve the people of the fear of famine, disease and social unrest, the capital was moved from Heijo-kyo briefly to Nagaoka-kyo(784-794), then to Heian-kyo. Heian-kyo was located in the northern part of the Kyoto basin, chosen because it possessed topographical conditions well suited to a capital. At the time of its foundation, Heian-kyo measured 4.5 kilometers east to west and 5.1 kilometers north or south. The city plan was modeled after Chinese cities such as Ch'ang-an, the capital of T'ang China. Over time, damp lower ground in the western area of the original plan was abandoned, and the grid system was expanded to include developing districts to the east, such as Shirakawa. This altered the shape of the city, but Kyoto remained the stage for aristocratic society during the four centuries of the Heian Period(794-1192). Properties representative of the period of Heian-kyo's founding include A: Kamowakeikazuchi-jinja (Shinto shrine, commonly known as Kammigamo Shrine); B: Kamomioya-jinja (Shinto shrine, commonly known as Shimogamo Shrine); C: Kyo-o-gokoku-ji (Buddhist temple, also called To-ji, or the Eastern Temple); /b>D: Kiyomizu-dera (Buddhist temple) in the Higashiyama district; E: Enryaku-ji (Buddhist temple), which was constructed to the northeast of the city, at the so-called "Devil's Gate," and which later flourished as the guardian temple of the state. For most of the Heian Period, a prohibition against building Buddhist temples within the city other than the two imperial temples, To-ji and Sai-ji, made the city primarily a place for civic functions. Temples were built in the surrounding mountains, while the country villas of the aristocracy were built in places of scenic beauty. During this period of political stability and urban growth, an aristocratic culture centered around the imperial court flourished, refining what had been imported from China into a native style. Characterized by its delicacy, gorgeousness and harmonization with nature, this court culture became one model of Japanese culture itself, admired and emulated by the political leaders of later eras. F: Daigo-ji and G: Ninna-ji, both large Buddhist temples built under imperial order, are representative properties of the early Heian Period. By the end of the Heian Period, the aristocracy was in decline and the military samurai class was gaining power, resulting in social unrest. Moreover, according to Buddhist doctrine, after 1052 (which was celebrated as the 2000th anniversary of the Buddha's death), the world would enter mappo, the last years of the Buddhist law, and disasters would occur one after another. People turned to religious faith, entreating Amida, the Buddha of salvation, to lead them to Jodo, his Pure Land in the west. The temple H: Byodo-in embodies the Jodo (Pure Land) philosophy. I: Ujigami-jinja is the Shinto shrine which houses the local guardian deity of the Byodo-in site. While Jodo Buddhism expanded during the late Heian and early Kamakura periods, there were counteroffensives from the older Buddhist sects, as well as the introduction of the Zen sects, imported from Sung China. Figure: Distribution of the properties in the early 9th Century |
