Capital of Japan
The capital of Japan (capital: jap. 都 , also 京 , miyako ; modern: 首都 , shuto ) is Tokyo . In the course of Japan's history , however , the capital of Japan changed location several times, with some uncertainties as to what should be regarded as the respective capital: According to traditional Japanese understanding, the term capital is closely related to the residence of the Tennō , which is up to 1868 mostly in the Kinki region ( 近畿 , "near the capital"), until in 1868 Kyōto ( 京 都市 , "imperial residence") was abandoned as the long-standing imperial capital and residence.
The imperial residence cities hardly corresponded to a capital in the sense of the political power center of the country, since the Tennō only rarely had actual power to govern in the course of history. For a long time, political power lay with the shogunate governments, who settled outside of the imperial court within the Kantō region in Kamakura and Edo . It was not until Tennō moved from Kyoto to Edo in 1868, which was then renamed Tokyo ( 東京 , “imperial capital in the east”), that the Imperial Palace and the political center of Japan are now back in one place, as Tokyo is also the Japanese one Government has its seat.
The Japanese understanding of capital as the seat of the Tennō
In general, the term capital is used to refer to the seat of the sovereign of a state , which is usually the largest city and the political, economic and cultural center of the country. In the Japanese imagination, the term capital is identified with these different roles, but it has also traditionally always been closely associated with the residence and the institution of the Tennō. Since antiquity and especially the increasing centralization of the Japanese state in the 7th and 8th centuries, the Tennō has been regarded as the sovereign of the country - and inextricably linked to it:
“The tennō of this state was considered a descendant of the gods who also created the land, represented as akitsu mikami (present god) the highest authority, a despot endowed with absolute power and the right to property in people and land. [...] One wrote state ( kokka ) and read these characters mikado ( tennō ) because tennō and state were identical. "
The symbolic power of the institution of the Tennō was also used in the construction of a modern nation during the Meiji Restoration , which was reflected in the Meiji Constitution of 1889 , where he was called "holy and inviolable", "head of state" and "holder of state authority." “Is described. After the Second World War, the Tennō renounced his claim to divinity, but is still referred to as “the symbol of Japan and the unity of the Japanese people” in today's Japanese constitution .
The Tennō has been at the head of the Japanese state for over a thousand years, even if he rarely exercised actual political power during this period. This was usually in the hands of powerful noble families such as the Soga , Fujiwara , Taira , Minamoto , Hōjō , Ashikaga and Tokugawa who later often even own shogunate governments with remote from the imperial government seats installed. So even if the political or economic capital was in a different place, the seat of the Tenno was generally always regarded as the official capital of the country.
This notion , which is typical for Japan, becomes clear above all in the term miyako (京), which in Japanese is the older name for capital, but actually described the place where the palace of Tenno was located until the 8th century. As a result, in the Japanese understanding of the capital or miyako , the place of the imperial residence is generally always seen, even if the seat of the government and that of the Tenno do not match, as the following historical example shows:
“In Japan, for example, during the Genroku period [note: 1688–1704] in the seventeenth century, Miyako was clearly regarded as Kyoto , although it was considered certain that the“ seat of public authority ”was Edo . In other words, if we try to specify the capital of the Edo period from the point of view of western capital city notions, Edo is clearly the only choice, yet Edo was not Miyako. "
In today's parlance, miyako is generally used for the historical capitals of Japan and especially for Kyoto, while current capitals are referred to by the term shuto ( 首都 ). Has this dichotomy of terminology such as Hidehiro Sonoda, a professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies , stressed before the Meiji period does not exist and is only with the introduction of the Western notion of capital or English capital emerged.
The Japanese capitals throughout history
The earliest surviving historical works of Japan are the Kojiki and Nihonshoki , both of which were written at the beginning of the 8th century. They describe the mythological origin of the Japanese Empire and the descent of the early Japanese Tennō from the sun deity Amaterasu . After them, the first emperor of Japan was Jimmu -tennō. He shall from the myths According Kyushu be broken to Yamato to conquer in central Japan, where he 660 v. BC ascended the throne and is said to have ruled his conquered empire from his residence Kashihara no Miya (today: Kashihara ). The following Tennō are said to have built their own palaces from which they ruled. The early founding date of the Japanese Empire and the existence of this first Tennō is now doubted by historians. It is believed that both the Kojiki and the Nihonshoki were written mainly to legitimize the rule of the Japanese imperial family .
The capitals of Yamato in the 6th and 7th centuries
According to Chinese chronicles, battles took place on the Japanese islands in the 3rd century, in which, it is believed, rival clan groups ( uji ) fought for supremacy in the country. Out of this turmoil the Yamato Empire emerged , which in the middle of the 4th century included the core region of Yamato in central Japan, at least also parts of the island of Kyūshū , as well as the western and central Honshū , as evidenced by the tumuli ( Kofun ) that were built during this period . In the 5th or 6th century a single dynasty seems to have come to power in Yamato, which because of their ancestry was called the "solar race" ( tenson ) and called themselves kings ( Ōkimi ).
The capitals of Japan in the 8th to 19th centuries
- Heijō-kyō
- Nagaoka-kyō
- Heian-kyō
- Fukuhara-kyō
- Kamakura ( seat of government of the Kamakura shogunate )
- Edo
During the Edo period it was often said that Japan had three capitals, or miyako ( 京 ). Edo was the capital of the Tokugawa shogunate , Kyōto was the residence of the Tennō (and therefore also the capital of culture and tradition) and Osaka was the unofficial capital of the traders.
An overview of the imperial residences and capitals
| Reference year | Capital | province | residence | Emperor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Until 592: Yayoi and Kofun times (partly legendary) | ||||
| between 97-30 BC Chr. | Shiki | Yamato | - | Sujin |
| between 29 BC Chr. – 70 AD | Makimuku | Yamato | - | Suinin |
| between 71-130 | Makimuku | Yamato | - | Keikō |
| between 131-190 | Saki | Yamato | - | Seimu |
| between 192-200 | Kashii (today: Fukuoka ) | Chikuzen | - | Chuai |
| between 200-269 | Iware | Yamato | - | Interregnum ( Jingū ) |
| between 270-310 | Habikino | Kawachi | - | Ōjin |
| between 313-399 | Naniwa (today: Osaka ) | Settsu | - | Nintoku |
| between 399-405 | Iware | Yamato | - | Richū |
| between 406-410 | Shibagaki | Kawachi | - | Hanzei |
| between 412-453 | Anaho | Yamato | - | Ingyō |
| between 454-456 | Isonokami | Yamato | - | Ankō |
| between 456-478 | Hatsuse | Yamato | - | Yūryaku |
| between 480-484 | Iware | Yamato | - | Hisi |
| between 484-487 | Mikakuri | Yamato | - | Kenzō |
| between 488-498 | Isonokami | Yamato | - | Nink |
| between 499-506 | Namiki | Yamato | - | Buretsu |
| between 507-531 | Iware | Yamato | - | Keitai |
| between 534-535 | Kanahashi | Yamato | - | Ankan |
| between 536-539 | Hinokuma | Yamato | - | Senka |
| between 540-571 | Shiki | Yamato | Shikishima no Kanazashi-no-miya ( 磯 城 嶋 金 刺 宮 ) | Kimmei |
| between 572-575 | Kudara | Yamato | - | Bidatsu |
| 575 | - | Yamato | (Ihare no) Wosada-no-miya ( 他 田 宮 ) | Bidatsu |
| between 585-587 | Iware | Yamato | - | Yōmei |
| between 587-592 | Kurahashi | Yamato | Kurahashi-no-miya | Sushun |
| 592-710: Asuka period | ||||
| 592 | Asuka-kyō (today: Asuka ) | Yamato | Toyura-no-miya ( 豊 浦 宮 ) | Suiko |
| 603 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | Oharida-no-miya ( 小 治 田 宮 ) | Suiko |
| 630 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | (Asuka) Okamoto-no-miya ( 鵤 岡本 宮 ) | Jomei |
| 636 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | Tanaka-no-miya | Jomei |
| 640 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | Umayasaka-no-miya | Jomei |
| 640 | (today: Kōryō ) | Yamato | Kudara-no-miya | Jomei |
| 643 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | (Asuka) Itabuki-no-miya | Kōgyoku |
| 645 | Naniwa-kyō (today: Osaka ) | Settsu | (Naniwa) Nagara Toyosaki-no-miya ( 長柄 豊 前 宮 ) | Kōtoku |
| 655 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | (Asuka) Itabuki-no-miya | Saimei |
| 655 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | (Asuka) Kawara-no-miya ( 川 原 宮 ) | Saimei |
| 656 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | (Nochi no Asuka) Okamoto-no-miya ( 鵤 岡本 宮 ) | Saimei |
| 661 | (today: Asakura ) | Chikuzen | Asakura no Tachibana no Hironiwa-no-miya ( 朝 倉 橘 広 庭 宮 ) | Saimei |
| 661 | Naniwa-kyō (today: Osaka ) | Settsu | (Naniwa) Nagara Toyosaki-no-miya ( 長柄 豊 前 宮 ) | Tenji as the ruling Crown Prince |
| 667 | Ōmi-kyō (today: Ōtsu ) | Ōmi | Omi Otsu-no-miya | Tenji , Kobun |
| 672 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | Shima-no-miya | Temmu |
| 672 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | (Asuka) Okamoto-no-miya ( 鵤 岡本 宮 ) | Temmu |
| 672 | Asuka-kyō | Yamato | (Asuka) Kiyomihara-no-miya ( 浄 御 原 宮 ) | Temmu , Jitō |
| 694 | Fujiwara-kyō (today: Kashihara ) | Yamato | Fujiwara-no-miya ( 藤原 宮 ) | Jitō , Mommu , Gemmei |
| 710-794: Nara period | ||||
| 710 | Heijō-kyō (today: Nara ) | Yamato | Nara-no-miya ( 奈良 宮 , 諾 樂 宮 ) | Gemmei , Genshō , Shōmu |
| 741 | Kuni-kyō (today: Kizugawa ) | Yamashiro | Kuni no miya or Kuni-kyū ( 恭 仁 宮 ) | Shōmu |
| 744 | Naniwa-kyō (today: Osaka ) | Settsu | - | Shōmu |
| 745 | (today: Kōka ) | Ōmi | Shigaraki-no-miya ( 紫 香 楽 宮 ) | Shōmu |
| 745 | Heijō-kyō (today: Nara ) | Yamato | Nara-no-miya ( 奈良 宮 , 諾 樂 宮 ) | Shōmu , Kōken , Junnin , Kōnin , Kammu |
| 784 | Nagaoka-kyō (today: Mukō , Nagaokakyō , Nishikyō-ku ) | Yamashiro | Nagaoka-no-miya ( 長 岡 宮 ) | Kammu |
| 794–1868: Heian to Edo period | ||||
| 794 | Heian-kyō (today: Kyōto ) | Yamashiro | Kyōto Gosho ( 京都 御所 ) | Kammu to Takakura |
| 1180 | Fukuhara-kyō (today: Hyōgo-ku , Kobe ) | Settsu | - | Antoku |
| 1180 | Heian-kyō | Yamashiro | Kyōto Gosho ( 京都 御所 ) | Antoku to Meiji |
| from 1868: Meiji period to the present | ||||
| 1868 | Tokyo | Musashi | Imperial Palace of Tokyo since 1948: Kōkyo ( 皇居 ) (previously 1868: Tōkei-jō ( 東京 城 ), 1869: Kōjō ( 皇城 ), 1888: Kyūjō ( 宮城 )) | since Meiji |
The emperors up to Ōjin are considered legendary emperors and there is only sparse information about the emperors up to Senka. Therefore the data for these are the traditional dates.
(Cities highlighted in white indicate only temporary relocations of residences during an epoch. List created after the introduction to Hermann Bohner's legends from the early days of Japanese Buddhism with its own additions to the periods after 710 and the historical provinces .)
The mega city of Tokyo as the capital of Japan
Tokyo , the seat of the Japanese government and the Tennō , is now widely regarded as the capital of Japan . However, there are two special features:
- The city of Tokyo was dissolved in 1943. The capital function is therefore performed by the 23 urban districts of Tokyo , which are almost regarded as separate cities.
- There is a dispute about when Tokyo became the capital. Some argue that this happened when Tokyo Prefecture was formed in 1868, others say it was in the same year, but when Edo Castle became Tōkei Castle (Tokyo), the third say it was not until 1869 when Tōkei Castle (Tokyo) became the Imperial Palace (now the Kōkyo ).
While an imperial edict ordered the capital to be relocated to Heian-kyō , nothing comparable exists for the relocation of Kyoto to Tokyo.
Seat of parliament
After the Second World War, the new Japanese constitution transferred the sovereignty of the Japanese state from the Tennō to the people, who are represented by the Japanese parliament .
The capital area in Japanese law
While there is no law designating Tokyo as the Japanese capital, many laws recognize a capital area ( 首都 圏 , shutoken ) that also includes Tokyo. Article 2 of the shutoken-seibi-hō ( 首都 圏 整 備 法 , dt. "Law for the redevelopment of the capital area") of 1956 states that "in this law the term capital area should designate a larger region in which both the area of the Tokyo prefecture as well as surrounding areas, as they are identified by cabinet orders ”, should be recorded.
This clearly implies that the government regards Tokyo as the capital, although again this is not directly stated and the definition of the capital area is intentionally related to this special law.
Other laws that refer to this capital area are the shuto-kōsoku-dōro-kōdan-hō ( 首都 高速 道路 公 団 法 , German "Law on the Public Corporation of the Capital Highways") and the shutoken-kinkō-ryokuchi- hozen-hō ( 首都 圏 近郊 緑地 保全 法 , dt. "Law on the Preservation of Green Areas of the Capital Area Suburbs").
This term for the capital was never used in relation to Kyōto, Shuto did not appear until the 1860s as a gloss to the English term capital .
Official government positions
In 1941, the Ministry of Education published a book called History of the Restoration , which is still used by scholars today. This book refers to the “designation of Tokyo as the capital” ( 東京 奠 都 , Tōkyō-tento ) without directly speaking of “ moving the capital to Tokyo” ( 東京 遷都 , Tōkyō-sento ). A contemporary history textbook writes that the Meiji government "moved the capital ( shuto ) from Kyoto to Tokyo," again without using the explicit term sento .
There is a movement calling for the capital to leave Tokyo. The candidates are the regions of Tochigi - Fukushima to the northeast, Gifu - Aichi to Tōkai and Mie - Kiō . Officially, one speaks of a "change of location of functions in the capital" or of a "change of location of the parliament and other organizations", not of a "relocation of the capital".
literature
- Kiyoshi Inoue: History of Japan . Campus, Frankfurt / Main, New York 1993.
- Manfred Pohl: Japan's imperial family: a modern monarchy, strong through tradition . In: Manfred Pohl, Hans Jürgen Mayer (Hrsg.): Country report Japan - geography, history, politics, economy, society, culture . Federal Agency for Civic Education, Bonn 1998, p. 62-64 .
- Manfred Pohl: History of Japan . Beck, Munich 2002.
Web links
- The Relocation of the Diet and Other Organizations - English-language homepage of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the project " Relocation of capital city functions".
Individual evidence
- ↑ See capital . In: Heinrich August Pierer , Julius Löbe (Hrsg.): Universal Lexicon of the Present and the Past . 4th edition. tape 8 . Altenburg 1859, p. 96 ( zeno.org ). or Adelung: Grammatical-Critical Dictionary of High German Dialect (1793) .
- ^ Kiyoshi Inoue: History of Japan , Frankfurt / Main; New York: Campus Verlag 1993, p. 55.
- ↑ See: Articles 3 and 4 of The Japanese Constitution of February 11, 1889 (Meiji Constitution); Translation from: Fujii Shinichi, Japanese Constitutional Law, Tokyo 1940, pp. 457 ff. On the website of the University of Bern ( Memento from May 19, 2007 in the Internet Archive ).
- ↑ Article 1: “ […] the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people… ”, see: Original English text of the Japanese constitution of 1946 .
- ↑ Manfred Pohl: Japans Kaiserhaus: A modern monarchy, strong through tradition , in: Pohl, Mayer: Country Report Japan , 1998, pp. 62–64.
- ↑ Manfred Pohl: Japan's imperial family: A modern monarchy, strong through tradition. in: Pohl, Mayer: Country Report Japan. 1998, p. 62 f.
- ↑ Manfred Pohl: Geschichte Japans , 2002, p. 18.
- ↑ “ In Japan for example, during the Genroku period in the seventeenth century, Miyako is clearly recognized to be Kyoto, even though it was certain that the 'seat of public authority' was Edo. In other words, if we try to specify the capital in the Edo Era from the viewpoint of a capital as conceived in the modern West, Edo is unmistakably the only one, but Edo was not Miyako. ”, See: Hidehiro Sonoda: A Study of Miyako , in: New Era , Vol. 15, September 2000, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport .
- ↑ Hidehiro Sonoda: A Study of Miyako , in: `` New Era '', Vol. 15, September 2000, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport .
- ↑ a b c 佐 々 木 克 氏 : 首都 機能 移 転 問題 と 「東京 遷都」 . MLIT , accessed October 21, 2016 (Japanese).
- ^ J. Edward Kidder Jr .: Himiko and Japan's Elusive Chiefdom of Yamatai: Archeology, History, and Mythology . University of Hawaii Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8248-3035-9 , pp. 102 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
- ↑ Legends from the early days of Japanese Buddhism . Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from May 23, 2016) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from July 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated March 1, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ MLIT : The Relocation of the Diet and Other Organizations
