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79-521: The meaning of ukyō (右京) is "on the Emperor's right." When residing in the Kyoto Imperial Palace the emperor would sit facing south, thus the western direction would be to his right. Similarly, there is a ward to the east called Sakyō-ku (左京区), meaning "the ward on the Emperor's left." In old times, ukyō was referring to the western part of the capital. The area of ancient Ukyō slightly overlaps

158-629: A de facto return to conditions before the Taika Reform . Within decades of Daigo's death, the Fujiwara had absolute control over the court. By the year 1000, Fujiwara no Michinaga was able to enthrone and dethrone emperors at will. Little authority was left for traditional institutions, and government affairs were handled through the Fujiwara clan's private administration. The Fujiwara had become what historian George B. Sansom has called "hereditary dictators". Despite their usurpation of imperial authority,

237-620: A certain courtier tried to ask her advice about how to write a poem to the Empress Sadako , she had to politely rebuke him because his writing was so poor. The lyrics of the modern Japanese national anthem, Kimigayo , were written in the Heian period, as was The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu , which was extremely important to the Heian court, and one of the first novels ever written. Murasaki Shikibu's contemporary and rival Sei Shōnagon's revealing observations and musings as an attendant in

316-505: A cypress-wood roof, and is supported by four unpainted wooden pillars. This gate would have been used on the rare occasions of the Emperor welcoming a foreign diplomat or dignitary, as well as for many other important state ceremonies. Passing through the Kenreimon , the inner gate Jomeimon would appear, which is painted in vermilion and roofed in tile. This leads to the Shishin-den , which is

395-570: A greater "organizational dynamism". The iconography of the Heian period is widely known in Japan, and depicted in various media, from traditional festivals to anime . Various festivals feature Heian dress – most notably Hinamatsuri (doll festival), where the dolls wear Heian dress, but also numerous other festivals, such as Aoi Matsuri in Kyoto (May) and Saiō Matsuri in Meiwa, Mie (June), both of which feature

474-406: A lack of a sense of Japan as a single nation. Under the early courts, when military conscription had been centrally controlled, military affairs had been taken out of the hands of the provincial aristocracy. But as the system broke down after 792, local power holders again became the primary source of military strength. The re-establishment of an efficient military system was made gradually through

553-683: A process of trial-and-error. At that time the imperial court did not possess an army but rather relied on an organization of professional warriors composed mainly of oryoshi, which were appointed to an individual province and tsuibushi, which were appointed over imperial circuits or for specific tasks. This gave rise to the Japanese military class. Nonetheless, final authority rested with the imperial court. Shōen holders had access to manpower and, as they obtained improved military technology (such as new training methods, more powerful bows, armor, horses, and superior swords) and faced worsening local conditions in

632-408: A solid medium of economic exchange is implicitly illustrated in novels of the time. For instance, messengers were rewarded with useful objects such as an old silk kimono , rather than being paid a monetary fee. The Fujiwara rulers failed to maintain adequate police forces, which left robbers free to prey on travelers. This is implicitly illustrated in novels by the terror that night travel inspired in

711-501: A statue of the mythical bird ranchō . The Imperial throne is always placed in the center of the main hall, the michodai to the right of it. Both thrones are kept away from public view through screens called misu . The Seiryōden ( 清涼殿 ) sits to the west of the Shishin-den, facing east. It, too, has a hipped and gabled roof, and is primarily cypress wood. Originally a place where the Emperor would conduct his own personal affairs,

790-455: A succession struggle among his sons, two new offices were established in an effort to adjust the Taika – Taihō administrative structure. Through the new Emperor's Private Office, the emperor could issue administrative edicts more directly and with more self-assurance than before. The new Metropolitan Police Board replaced the largely ceremonial imperial guard units. While these two offices strengthened

869-468: Is based on Vajrayana Buddhism. It was brought to Japan by the monk Kūkai . Shingon Buddhism emphasizes the use of symbols, rituals, incantations and mandalas, which gave it a wide appeal. Kūkai greatly impressed the emperors who succeeded Emperor Kammu, and also generations of Japanese, not only with his holiness but also with his poetry, calligraphy, painting, and sculpture. Both Kūkai and Saichō aimed to connect state and religion and establish support from

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948-571: Is called kenjō no shōji ( 賢聖障子 ) , and has an image of 32 celestial saints painted upon it, which became one of the primary models for all of Heian period painting. The Michodai ( 御帳台 ) is the August Seat of the Empress. The current throne was constructed in 1913. Its colour and shape are the same as the Takamikura , but is slightly smaller and more simple in comparison. The canopy is decorated with

1027-751: Is private. Kyoto Imperial Palace The Kyōto Imperial Palace ( 京都御所 , Kyōto-gosho ) is the former palace of the Emperor of Japan , located in Kamigyō-ku , Kyoto , Japan . Since the Meiji Restoration in 1869, the Emperors have resided at the Tokyo Imperial Palace , while the preservation of the Kyoto Imperial Palace was ordered in 1877. Today, the grounds are open to the public, and

1106-510: Is the Imperial throne . It has been used on the occasion of the enthronement ceremonies commencing in 707 in the reign of Empress Genmei . The present throne was modeled on the original design, constructed in 1913, two years before the enthronement of Emperor Taishō . The actual throne is a chair in black lacquer, placed under an octagonal canopy resting on a three-tiered dais painted with black lacquer with balustrades of vermilion. On both sides of

1185-577: Is the Japanese version of the Tiantai school from China, which is based on the Lotus Sutra , one of the most important sutras in Mahayana Buddhism. It was brought to Japan by the monk Saichō . An important element of Tendai doctrine was the suggestion that enlightenment was accessible to "every creature". Saichō also sought independent ordination for Tendai monks. A close relationship developed between

1264-670: The Ritsuryō Code , this system attempted to recreate the Tang legal system in Japan, despite the "tremendous differences in the levels of development between the two countries". Despite the decline of the Taika – Taihō reforms, the imperial government was vigorous during the early Heian period. Kammu's avoidance of drastic reform decreased the intensity of political struggles, and he became recognized as one of Japan's most forceful emperors. Although Kammu had abandoned universal conscription in 792, he still waged major military offensives to subjugate

1343-487: The Ryōmin (良民 "Good People") numbered about 5,000 in a land of perhaps five million. One reason the samurai were able to take power was that the ruling nobility proved incompetent at managing Japan and its provinces. By the year 1000, the government no longer knew how to issue currency and money was gradually disappearing. Instead of a fully realized system of money circulation, rice was the primary unit of exchange. The lack of

1422-509: The Emishi , possible descendants of the displaced Jōmon , living in northern and eastern Japan. After making temporary gains in 794, in 797, Kammu appointed a new commander, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro , under the title Seii Taishōgun ("Barbarian-subduing generalissimo"). By 801, the shōgun had defeated the Emishi and had extended the imperial domains to the eastern end of Honshū . Imperial control over

1501-594: The Heian Palace in late 12th century. However, it was already much earlier that the de facto residence of the Emperors was often not in the Inner Palace ( 内裏 , dairi ) of the original Heian period palace, but in one of the temporary residences ( 里内裏 , sato-dairi ) in this part of the city and often provided to the Emperor by powerful noble families. The present palace is a direct successor—after iterations of rebuilding—to one of these sato-dairi palaces,

1580-585: The Heian period architecture and style of the original dairi of the Heian Palace. The grounds include a number of buildings, along with the imperial residence. The neighboring building to the north is the sentō ( 仙洞 ) , or residence of the retired Emperor, and beyond that, across Imadegawa Street , sits Doshisha University . The Imperial Household Agency maintains the building and the grounds and also runs public tours. The main buildings are, among other halls,

1659-520: The Imperial House of Japan had power on the surface, the real power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan , a powerful aristocratic family who had intermarried with the imperial family . Many emperors had mothers from the Fujiwara family. The economy mostly existed through barter and trade, while the shōen system enabled the accumulation of wealth by an aristocratic elite. Even though the Heian period

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1738-471: The Imperial Household Agency hosts public tours of the buildings several times a day. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is the latest of the imperial palaces built in the northeastern part of the old capital of Heian-kyō (now known as Kyoto ) after the abandonment of the Heian Palace that was located to the west of the current palace during the Heian period . The Palace lost much of its function at

1817-539: The In-no-chō and of the rise of the military class throughout the country. Military might rather than civil authority dominated the government. A struggle for succession in the mid-twelfth century gave the Fujiwara an opportunity to regain their former power. Fujiwara no Yorinaga sided with the retired emperor in a violent battle in 1156 against the heir apparent, who was supported by the Taira and Minamoto ( Hōgen Rebellion ). In

1896-463: The Kenreimon . Located next to the Kenshunmon is a square where the traditional ball game Kemari is played. The Shunkōden ( 春興殿 ) was constructed to house the sacred mirror on the occasion of the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Taisho in 1915. The roof is modern in that it is made out of copper and not wooden shingles. The Shishinden ( 紫宸殿 ) is the most important ceremonial building within

1975-485: The Kyoto State Guest House . The estate dates from the early Edo period when the residence of high court nobles were grouped close together with the palace and the area walled. When the capital was moved to Tokyo, the residences of the court nobles were demolished and most of Kyōto Gyoen is now a park open to the public. The Imperial Palace has been officially located in this area since the final abandonment of

2054-843: 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. It is a period in Japanese history when the Chinese influences were in decline and the national culture matured. The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court , noted for its art , especially poetry and literature . Two syllabaries unique to Japan, katakana and hiragana , emerged during this time. This gave rise to Japan's famous vernacular literature, with many of its texts written by court women who were not as educated in Chinese as their male counterparts. Although

2133-471: The Soga clan had taken control of the throne in the sixth century, the Fujiwara by the ninth century had intermarried with the imperial family , and one of their members was the first head of the Emperor's Private Office. Another Fujiwara became regent, Sesshō for his grandson, then a minor emperor and yet another was appointed Kampaku . Toward the end of the 9th century, several emperors tried but failed, to check

2212-411: The 6-year old Emperor. He perished, but his mother survived. Takakura's other son succeeded as Emperor Go-Toba . With Yoritomo firmly established, the bakufu system that governed Japan for the next seven centuries was in place. He appointed military governors, or shugo , to rule over the provinces, and stewards, or jito to supervise public and private estates. Yoritomo then turned his attention to

2291-570: The Buddhist institutions there. Kyoto had good river access to the sea and could be reached by land routes from the eastern provinces. The early Heian period (784–967) continued Nara culture; the Heian capital was patterned on the Chinese Tang capital at Chang'an , as was Nara, but on a larger scale than Nara. Kammu endeavored to improve the Tang-style administrative system which was in use. Known as

2370-454: The Empress' court were recorded collectively as The Pillow Book in the 990s, which revealed the quotidian capital lifestyle. The Heian period produced a flowering of poetry including works of Ariwara no Narihira , Ono no Komachi , Izumi Shikibu , Murasaki Shikibu, Saigyō and Fujiwara no Teika . The famous Japanese poem known as the Iroha (いろは), of uncertain authorship, was also written during

2449-416: The Fujiwara after centuries of imitating Chinese forms. Vividly colored yamato-e , Japanese style paintings of court life and stories about temples and shrines became common in the mid-to-late Heian period, setting patterns for Japanese art to this day. As culture flourished, so did decentralization. Whereas the first phase of shōen development in the early Heian period had seen the opening of new lands and

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2528-407: The Fujiwara presided over a period of cultural and artistic flowering at the imperial court and among the aristocracy. There was great interest in graceful poetry and vernacular literature . Two types of phonetic Japanese script: katakana , a simplified script that was developed by using parts of Chinese characters, was abbreviated to hiragana , a cursive syllabary with a distinct writing method that

2607-596: The Fujiwara, felt threatened with the loss of their lands. Go-Sanjo also established the In-no-chō  [ ja ] ( 院庁 "Office of the Cloistered Emperor"), which was held by a succession of emperors who abdicated to devote themselves to behind-the-scenes governance, or insei . The In-no-chō filled the void left by the decline of Fujiwara power. Rather than being banished, the Fujiwara were mostly retained in their old positions of civil dictator and minister of

2686-425: The Fujiwara. For a time, however, during the reign of Emperor Daigo (897–930), the Fujiwara regency was suspended as he ruled directly. Nevertheless, the Fujiwara were not demoted by Daigo but actually became stronger during his reign. Central control of Japan had continued to decline, and the Fujiwara, along with other great families and religious foundations, acquired ever larger shōen and greater wealth during

2765-626: The Hall for State Ceremonies. The Gekkamon is a smaller gate on the west side of the main courtyard. The annual Aoi Matsuri in May is the procession of the Saiō-Dai , historically a priestess of the imperial house, to the Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine . The procession departs in front of the Kenreimon . Another gate in the outer courtyard is the Kenshunmon , which has a similar architectural style to

2844-587: The Heian Period is considered a high point in Japanese culture that later generations have always admired. The period is also noted for the rise of the samurai class, which would eventually take power and start the feudal period of Japan. Nominally, sovereignty lay in the emperor but in fact, power was wielded by the Fujiwara nobility. However, to protect their interests in the provinces, the Fujiwara, and other noble families required guards, police and soldiers. The warrior class made steady political gains throughout

2923-433: The Heian period. During the Heian period, beauty was widely considered an important part of what made one a "good" person. In cosmetic terms, aristocratic men and women powdered their faces and blackened their teeth, the latter termed ohaguro . The male courtly ideal included a faint mustache and thin goatee , while women's mouths were painted small and red, and their eyebrows were plucked or shaved and redrawn higher on

3002-402: The Heian period. As early as 939 AD, Taira no Masakado threatened the authority of the central government, leading an uprising in the eastern province of Hitachi , and almost simultaneously, Fujiwara no Sumitomo rebelled in the west. Still, a true military takeover of the Japanese government was centuries away, when much of the strength of the government would lie within the private armies of

3081-506: The Japanese Misplaced Pages entries irome and kasane-no-irome ). While the Heian period was an unusually long period of peace, it can also be argued that the period weakened Japan economically and led to poverty for all but a tiny few of its inhabitants. The control of rice fields provided a key source of income for families such as the Fujiwara and was a fundamental base of their power. The aristocratic beneficiaries of Heian culture,

3160-469: The Seiryō-den was later used for various gatherings and meetings as well. In the center is an area where the Emperor would rest, and on the east side of the hall, an area of two tatami was set aside for dignitaries and aristocrats to sit. Here was where the Emperor could conduct formal affairs. On the north side of the hall was an enclosed area where the Emperor would sleep at night; later, Emperors began to use

3239-557: The Shishinden ( 紫宸殿 , Hall for State Ceremonies) , Seiryōden ( 清涼殿 , Emperor's Habitual Residence) , Kogosho ( 小御所 , Court Room) , Ogakumonjo ( 御学問所 , Imperial Study or Library ) , and a number of residences for the Empress, high-ranking aristocrats and government officials. Dignitaries with special permission for official visits used to enter the palace through the Okurumayose ( 御車寄 ) entrance. The Shodaibunoma ( 諸大夫の間 ) building

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3318-499: The Tendai monastery complex on Mount Hiei and the imperial court in its new capital at the foot of the mountain. As a result, Tendai emphasized great reverence for the emperor and the nation. Emperor Kammu himself was a notable patron of the otherworldly Tendai sect, which rose to great power over the ensuing centuries. Shingon is the Japanese version of the Zhenyen school from China, which

3397-532: The Tsuchimikado Dono ( 土御門殿 , Tsuchimikado-dono ) of the Fujiwara clan . The palace, like many of the oldest and most important buildings in Japan, was destroyed by fire and rebuilt many times over the course of its history. It has been destroyed and rebuilt eight times, six of them during the 250-year-long peace of the Edo period. The version currently standing was completed in 1855, with an attempt at reproducing

3476-415: The area of present Ukyō-ku. The ward was established in 1931 when nine villages merged to form it. On April 1, 2005, the ward expanded its territory to the area of former town of Keihoku when the town merged into the city of Kyoto. This increased the ward's territory from 74.27 square kilometres (28.68 sq mi) to 291.95 square kilometres (112.72 sq mi), and made it the largest ward in

3555-466: The aristocracy, leading to the notion of "aristocratic Buddhism". Although written Chinese ( kanbun ) remained the official language of the Heian period imperial court, the introduction and widespread use of kana saw a boom in Japanese literature . Despite the establishment of several new literary genres such as the novel and narrative monogatari (物語) and essays, literacy was only common among

3634-403: The center while being bypassed in decision making. In time, many of the Fujiwara were replaced, mostly by members of the rising Minamoto clan . While the Fujiwara fell into disputes among themselves and formed northern and southern factions, the insei system allowed the paternal line of the imperial family to gain influence over the throne. The period from 1086 to 1156 was the age of supremacy of

3713-580: The city by area. As of October 1, 2020, the ward has an estimated population of 202,047, with 97,849 households and a density of 692 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,790/sq mi). Ukyo-ku is home to many renowned sites, including: Rohm , an electronic parts manufacturer, and Nissin Electric , a global electrical equipment company, are headquartered in the ward. There are 12 middle schools, of which nine are public and three are private. There are 21 elementary schools, of which 20 are public and one

3792-457: The city, prompting the emperor to relocate the capital a second time, to Heian. A rebellion occurred in China toward the end of the 9th century, making the political situation unstable. The Japanese missions to Tang China were suspended and the influx of Chinese exports halted, a fact which facilitated the independent growth of Japanese culture called kokufu bunka  [ ja ] . Therefore,

3871-424: The court and Buddhist clergy. Poetry, in particular, was a staple of court life. Nobles and ladies-in-waiting were expected to be well versed in the art of writing poetry as a mark of their status. Every occasion could call for the writing of a verse, from the birth of a child to the coronation of an emperor, or even a pretty scene of nature. A well-written poem could easily make or break one's reputation, and often

3950-428: The court aristocracy who had become prominent provincial figures. These military families gained prestige from connections to the imperial court and court-granted military titles and access to manpower. The Fujiwara family, Taira clan, and Minamoto clan were among the most prominent families supported by the new military class. A decline in food production, the growth of the population, and competition for resources among

4029-449: The early tenth century. By the early Heian period, the shōen had obtained legal status, and the large religious establishments sought clear titles in perpetuity, waiver of taxes, and immunity from government inspection of the shōen they held. Those people who worked the land found it advantageous to transfer title to shōen holders in return for a share of the harvest. People and lands were increasingly beyond central control and taxation,

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4108-513: The elimination of the powerful Fujiwara family, which sheltered his rebellious brother Yoshitsune. Three years later, he was appointed shōgun in Kyoto. One year before his death in 1199, Yoritomo expelled the teenaged emperor Go-Toba from the throne. Two of Go-Toba's sons succeeded him, but they would also be removed by Yoritomo's successors to the shogunate. The Heian period saw the rise of two esoteric Buddhist sects, Tendai and Shingon . Tendai

4187-433: The emperor's position temporarily, soon they and other Chinese-style structures were bypassed in the developing state. In 838 the end of the imperial-sanctioned missions to Tang China, which had begun in 630, marked the effective end of Chinese influence. Tang China was in a state of decline, and Chinese Buddhists were severely persecuted, undermining Japanese respect for Chinese institutions. Japan began to turn inward. As

4266-460: The emperors and established the shogunate in Kamakura. When Emperor Kammu moved the capital to Heian-kyō ( Kyoto ), which remained the imperial capital for the next 1,000 years, he did so not only to strengthen imperial authority but also to improve his seat of government geopolitically. Nara was abandoned after only 70 years in part due to the ascendancy of Dōkyō and the encroaching secular power of

4345-442: The end, the Fujiwara were destroyed, the old system of government supplanted, and the insei system left powerless as bushi took control of court affairs, marking a turning point in Japanese history. In 1159, the Taira and Minamoto clashed ( Heiji Rebellion ), and a twenty-year period of Taira ascendancy began. Taira no Kiyomori emerged as the real power in Japan following the Fujiwara's destruction, and he would remain in command for

4424-417: The forehead ( hikimayu ). Women cultivated shiny, black flowing hair and a courtly woman's formal dress included a complex "twelve-layered robe" called jūnihitoe , though the actual number of layers varied. Costumes were determined by office and season, with a woman's robes, in particular, following a system of color combinations representing flowers, plants, and animals specific to a season or month, (see

4503-508: The granting of the use of lands to aristocrats and religious institutions, the second phase saw the growth of patrimonial "house governments", as in the old clan system. In fact, the form of the old clan system had remained largely intact within the great old centralized government. New institutions were now needed in the face of social, economic, and political changes. The Taihō Code lapsed, its institutions relegated to ceremonial functions. Family administrations now became public institutions. As

4582-407: The great families all led to the gradual decline of Fujiwara power and gave rise to military disturbances in the mid-tenth and eleventh centuries. Members of the Fujiwara, Taira, and Minamoto families—all of whom had descended from the imperial family—attacked one another, claimed control over vast tracts of conquered land, set up rival regimes, and generally upset the peace. The Fujiwara controlled

4661-461: The main characters. The shōen system enabled the accumulation of wealth by an aristocratic elite; the economic surplus can be linked to the cultural developments of the Heian period and the "pursuit of arts". The major Buddhist temples in Heian-kyō and Nara also made use of the shōen . The establishment of branches rurally and integration of some Shinto shrines within these temple networks reflects

4740-471: The most powerful family, the Fujiwara governed Japan and determined the general affairs of state, such as succession to the throne. Family and state affairs were thoroughly intermixed, a pattern followed among other families, monasteries, and even the imperial family. Land management became the primary occupation of the aristocracy, not so much because direct control by the imperial family or central government had declined but more from strong family solidarity and

4819-487: The next 20 years. He gave his daughter Tokuko in marriage to the young emperor Takakura , who died at only 19, leaving their infant son Antoku to succeed to the throne. Kiyomori filled no less than 50 government posts with his relatives, rebuilt the Inland Sea, and encouraged trade with Song China. He also took aggressive actions to safeguard his power when necessary, including the removal and exile of 45 court officials and

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4898-583: The ninth century, military service became part of shōen life. Not only the shōen but also civil and religious institutions formed private guard units to protect themselves. Gradually, the provincial upper class was transformed into a new military elite of samurai . Bushi interests were diverse, cutting across old power structures to form new associations in the tenth century. Mutual interests, family connections, and kinship were consolidated in military groups that became part of family administration. In time, large regional military families formed around members of

4977-508: The official residence. The west side was set aside for the Emperor's breakfasts, and also contained the lavatories, while the south side was used by the keeper of the Imperial Archives. This area contained paintings by the masters of the Tosa school , and just outside, various rare bamboos were planted. The original structure was built as the Emperor's residence at the end of the 8th century and

5056-415: The palace grounds. The enthronement ceremonies of Emperor Taisho and Emperor Showa took place here. The hall is 33 by 23 metres (108 by 75 ft) in size, and features a traditional architectural style, with a gabled and hipped roof. On either side of its main stairway were planted trees which would become very famous and sacred, a cherry ( sakura ) on the eastern, left side, and a tachibana orange tree on

5135-488: The provinces was tenuous at best, however. In the ninth and tenth centuries, much authority was lost to the great families, who disregarded the Chinese-style land and tax systems imposed by the government in Kyoto. Stability came to Japan, but, even though succession was ensured for the imperial family through heredity, power again concentrated in the hands of one noble family, the Fujiwara. Following Kammu's death in 806 and

5214-525: The razing of two troublesome temples, Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji. The Taira were seduced by court life and ignored problems in the provinces, where the Minamoto clan were rebuilding their strength. In 1183, two years after Kiyomori's death, Yoritomo Minamoto dispatched his brothers Yoshitsune and Noriyori to attack Kyoto. The Taira were routed and forced to flee, and the Empress Dowager tried to drown herself and

5293-405: The right to the west. The garden of white gravel played an important role in the ceremony. The center of the Shishin-den is surrounded by a hisashi ( 庇 ) , a long, thin hallway which surrounded the main wing of an aristocrat's home, in traditional Heian architecture. Within this is a wide open space, crossed by boarded-over sections, leading to the central throne room. The Takamikura ( 高御座 )

5372-654: The shogunate. The entry of the warrior class into court influence was a result of the Hōgen Rebellion . At this time Taira no Kiyomori revived the Fujiwara practices by placing his grandson on the throne to rule Japan by regency. Their clan, the Taira , would not be overthrown until after the Genpei War , which marked the start of the Kamakura shogunate . The Kamakura period began in 1185 when Minamoto no Yoritomo seized power from

5451-404: The throne are two little tables, where two of the three Imperial regalia (the sword and the jewel), and the privy seal and state seal would be placed. On top of the canopy is a statue of a large phoenix called hō-ō . Surrounding the canopy are eight small phoenixes, jewels and mirrors. Hanging from the canopy are metal ornaments and curtains. The sliding door that hid the Emperor from view

5530-447: The throne until the reign of Emperor Go-Sanjō (1068–1073), the first emperor not born of a Fujiwara mother since the ninth century. Go-Sanjo, determined to restore imperial control through strong personal rule, implemented reforms to curb Fujiwara influence. He also established an office to compile and validate estate records with the aim of reasserting central control. Many shōen were not properly certified, and large landholders, like

5609-540: The time of the Meiji Restoration , when the capital functions were moved to Tokyo in 1869. However, Emperor Taishō and Shōwa still had their enthronement ceremonies at the palace. The Palace is situated in the Kyōto-gyoen ( 京都御苑 ) , a large rectangular enclosure 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) north to south and 700 metres (2,300 ft) east to west. It also contains the Sentō Imperial Palace gardens and

5688-479: Was a key part of social interaction. Almost as important was the choice of calligraphy, or handwriting, used. The Japanese of this period believed handwriting could reflect the condition of a person's soul: therefore, poor or hasty writing could be considered a sign of poor breeding. Whether the script was Chinese or Japanese, good writing and artistic skill were paramount to social reputation when it came to poetry. Sei Shōnagon mentions in her Pillow Book that when

5767-455: Was built and used as the Emperor's residence from 1590 until the capital was transferred to Tokyo in 1869. It is the largest structure of the palace with fifteen rooms. Facing it is the Gonaeitei garden. The Osuzumisho ( 御涼所 ) is the summer residence for the Emperor. The Koshun ( 迎春 ) is a study hall that was used by Emperor Komei , who reigned from 1846 to 1866. The Omima ( 御三間 )

5846-419: Was held here on the night of December 9, 1867, the declaration of the restoration of imperial rule ( osei fukko ). The structure burnt down in 1954 and was reconstructed in 1958. The study hall Ogakumonjo ( 御学問所 ) was for reading rites, a monthly poetry recital and also a place the Emperor received nobles. It is a shoin zukuri style building with an irimoya hiwadabuki roof. The Otsunegoten ( 御常御殿 )

5925-403: Was one of national peace, the government failed to effectively police the territory, leading to frequent robberies of travellers. The Heian period was preceded by the Nara period and began in 794 AD after the movement of the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto), by the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu . Kammu first tried to move the capital to Nagaoka-kyō , but a series of disasters befell

6004-597: Was uniquely Japanese. Hiragana gave written expression to the spoken word and, with it, to the rise in Japan's famous vernacular literature, much of it written by court women who had not been trained in Chinese as had their male counterparts. Three late-tenth-century and early-11th-century women presented their views of life and romance at the Heian court in Kagerō Nikki by "the mother of Fujiwara Michitsuna ", The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon and The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu . Indigenous art also flourished under

6083-409: Was used as a waiting room for dignitaries on their official visits to the palace. They were ushered into three different anterooms according to their ranks. The Shinmikurumayose ( 新御車寄 ) structure was built as a new carriage entrance on the occasion of the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Taisho in 1915. For state ceremonies, the dignitaries would enter through the Kenreimon ( 建礼門 ) , which has

6162-556: Was used for unofficial ceremonies such as the Star Festival and the Bon festival . The Palace's Suzaku-mon ( 朱雀門 ) is walking distance from JR Nijō Station . 35°01′31″N 135°45′44″E  /  35.02528°N 135.76222°E  / 35.02528; 135.76222 Heian period The Heian period ( 平安時代 , Heian jidai ) is the last division of classical Japanese history , running from 794 to 1185. It followed

6241-534: Was used until the 11th century. The Seiryō-den was rebuilt in this location in 1790 CE, on a smaller scale than the original building but preserving the original structure. The Kogosho ( 小御所 ) is a place where the Emperor received bannermen under the direct control of the Tokugawa shogun ( buke ). It was also used for some rituals. This distinctive building shows a blend of architectural elements of shinden zukuri and shoin zukuri styles. The Kogosho Conference

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