The Process of transition of the ancient capitals in Japan after they were abandoned

1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 09610355
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: Nara National Cultural Properties Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: TATENO Kazumi Nara National Cultural Properties Research Institute, Division of Heijo Palace Site Investigations, Head of Histoy Section, 平安宮跡発掘調査部, 史料調査室長 (70171725)
• Project Period (FY): 1997 – 1999
• Keywords: sites of the ancient capitals / The Nara Capital / city plan of the capital / block number in the city plan of the capital / transfer of the capital / KITAURA Sadamasa

Research Abstract

I searched the historical materials such as RIKKOKUSHI (***), 'HEIAN-IBUN' (****) AND 'DAINIHON-KOMONJO' (******) for articles on Japanese ancient capitals to investigate the process of transition after the capitals were abandoned. And I gathered data on the features of the city street plan of the Nara Capital (***) from the research reports of archaeological excavations.
Then I made a comparative study of the manuscript and the newly discovered fair copies of 'Heijokyo Daidairiato Tubowarinozu' (***********), the map of the Nara Capital drawn by KITAURA SADAMASA (****) in 1852.
As a result of the investigation founded on the said materials, I could make clear the following facts. First, in the first half of the 9th century when the site of the former Nara Capital was changing into the paddy fields gradually, ex-Emperor HEIZEI ( **** ) and his family gathered the lands in the old capital, but after his death, their lands were forfeited to the government. Second, the city street plan of the capital was applied to the inside of the site of the Nara Palace (*** ) after it had gone to ruin. Third, in the case the capital changed into the puddy fields , the fields are wider than the former streets. This is the result of the following historical process. When they brought the residential sections under cultivation, the surrounding walls of the sections remained still, so the fields were made only inside the walls. And after that, when the whole streets changed into the puddy fields, the walls had run waste, so the paddy fields involved not only the streets but also the sites of the walls.
And concerning 'Heijokyo Daidairiato Tubowarinozu', Sadamasa made the fair copies of it at several times, and also revised and enlarged the manuscript. That is why there were some important different points among the manuscript rod the fair copies.