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. The palace served as the imperial residence and the administrative centre for most of the Heian period (794–1185).
103-522: Located in the north-central section of the city, the palace consisted of a large, walled, rectangular Greater Palace (the Daidairi ), which contained several ceremonial and administrative buildings including the government ministries. Inside this enclosure was the separately walled residential compound of the emperor , or the Inner Palace ( Dairi ). In addition to the emperor's living quarters,
206-737: A deity ). Following Japan's surrender, the Allies issued the Shinto Directive separating church and state within Japan. In 1946, Emperor Shōwa was forced to proclaim the Humanity Declaration , but the declaration excludes the word arahitogami ( 現人神 ) , including the unusual word akitsumikami ( 現御神 , living god) instead. As such, some experts doubt whether his divinity was renounced. Jean Herbert said it would be inadmissible to deny his divine origin. Emperor Shōwa
309-647: A book in which he developed a somewhat similar theory. According to Saeki, the Hata clan, which arrived from Korea and settled in Japan in the third century, was a Jewish-Nestorian tribe... Saeki's writings spread the theory about "the common ancestry of the Japanese and the Jews" ( Nichi-Yu dosoron ) in Japan, a theory that was endorsed by some Christian groups. There is no evidence available, including modern DNA analysis, to support this hypothesis. A recently published study of
412-599: A ceremonial head of state without even nominal political powers. For example, the emperor is the head of the Japanese honors system , conferring orders, decorations, medals, and awards in the name of the state and on behalf of its people in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the emperor and other members of the imperial family have resided at the Imperial Palace , located on
515-526: A defected Kamakura general. The short three-year period during which the power was directly in the hand of the emperor is called the Kenmu Restoration . The direct ruling of the emperor proved however inefficient and ultimately failed, with Takauji grabbing political power for himself. In July 1853, Commodore Perry 's Black Ships of the US Navy made their first visit to Edo Bay . Japan lacked
618-567: A descendant of Qin Shi Huang , the first emperor of the Qin dynasty. The Hata were the most prominent inhabitants of the Kyoto basin at the time the area entered into history, in the 6th and 7th centuries. The Hata are said to have been adept at financial matters, and to have introduced silk raising and weaving to Japan. For this reason, they may have been associated with the kagome crest ,
721-547: A direct descendant of Amaterasu and of utmost importance in the Shinto religion and sentimental traditions. Thus no shogun tried to usurp the emperor, instead they tried to keep the emperor under control and away from politics. However, the emperor still had the power to "control time" via the Japanese Nengō which names eras on calendars after emperors. Hata clan Hata ( 秦氏 , lit. " Qin dynasty clan" )
824-483: A garden in the north and was used for flower-viewing and other banquets before becoming residential space for imperial consorts in the 10th century. It also housed the editorial team of the first imperial waka poetry collection Kokinshū . After the Dairi was rebuilt following a fire in 960, the regular residence of the emperors moved to the smaller Seiryōden ( 清涼殿 ) , an east-facing building located immediately to
927-569: A lattice shape found in basket-weaving. During the reign of Emperor Nintoku (313–399), the members of the clan were sent to different parts of the country to spread the knowledge and practice of sericulture . Members of this clan also served as financial advisors to the Yamato Court for several centuries. Originally landing and settling in Izumo and the San'yō region , the Hata eventually settled in
1030-519: A minister in order to take effect, thus passing political responsibility to the minister. By contrast, Japan is one of only two such sovereign states where the monarch is not even the nominal chief executive; the other is Sweden . Rather, Article 65 of the Constitution of Japan explicitly vests executive authority in the Cabinet , of which the prime minister is the leader. The emperor
1133-533: A problem within the palace by the first half of 11th century. Fires were a constant problem as the palace compound was constructed almost entirely of wood. The Buraku-in was destroyed by a fire in 1063 and was never rebuilt. The Daigokuden was reconstructed after fires in 876, 1068 and in 1156 despite its limited use. After the major fire of 1177 destroyed much of the Greater Palace, the Daigokuden
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#17327823376591236-595: Is also not the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces . Instead, the Japan Self-Defense Forces Act of 1954 explicitly vests supreme command and control in the prime minister. Nevertheless, the emperor remains Japan's internationally recognized head of state. The emperor's fundamental role within the machinery of the Japanese constitution is to perform important representational functions as "…the symbol of
1339-697: Is barred from making political statements. It is the emperor's preeminent constitutional duty to appoint the Prime Minister as designated by the Diet and the Chief Justice as designated by the Cabinet. However, the emperor does not have the authority to decline the nominations. The emperor's other responsibilities, laid down in Article 7 of the Constitution, concern the basic functioning of
1442-529: Is given to a number of competitions such as football, judo, volleyball, and the top division yūshō winner of a sumo tournament. Although the emperor has been a symbol of continuity with the past, the degree of power exercised by the emperor has varied considerably throughout Japanese history. According to the traditional account of the Nihon Shoki , Japan was founded by Emperor Jimmu 2683 years ago. However most modern scholars agree to regard Jimmu and
1545-442: Is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan . The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power". The Imperial Household Law governs the line of imperial succession . Pursuant to his constitutional role as a national symbol, and in accordance with rulings by
1648-565: Is the only remaining monarch and head of state in the world who holds the title of Emperor . Most constitutional monarchies formally vest executive power in the reigning monarch in their capacity as the head of state, who in turn is bound by either convention or statute to act on the advice of ministers responsible to the duly elected parliament. Some monarchies, such as those in Belgium , Denmark , Spain and Thailand , codify this principle by requiring royal acts to be countersigned by
1751-528: The Chūwain ( 中和院 ) —a walled area of Shinto buildings associated with the emperor's religious functions, situated to the west of the Dairi itself, at the geographic centre of the Greater Palace. The formal entrance to the larger enclosure was the gate Kenreimon ( 建礼門 ) , located directly south of the Dairi. The Dairi proper, the residential compound of the emperor, was enclosed within another set of walls to
1854-583: The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu , the so-called Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon and the chronicles Eiga Monogatari and Ōkagami . In addition, paintings in certain emakimono picture scrolls depict (sometimes fictional) scenes that took place at the palace and similar aristocratic dwellings; the Genji Monogatari Emaki , dating from about 1130, is perhaps the best-known example. There are also partially damaged maps of
1957-513: The Utakai Hajime is the annual poetry reading competition convened by the emperor. The emperor is supported in this function by the empress and other members of the imperial family, who have honorary patronages of many associations and organisations. They travel extensively throughout the year within the country to uphold these roles. In sports, the Emperor's Cup (天皇賜杯, Tennō shihai )
2060-542: The insei system (cloistered rule ( 院政 ) ), from 1086 further added to the declining importance of the palace, as retired emperors exercised power from their own residential palaces inside and outside the city. In the aftermath of the 1156 Hōgen rebellion , Emperor Go-Shirakawa ordered the rebuilding of portions of the palace as part of an effort to reclaim more power to the emperor and restart some ceremonial practices. Go-Shirakawa soon abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Nijo , and both were attacked and held captive in
2163-607: The shōguns , or their shikken regents in Kamakura (1203–1333), were the de facto rulers of Japan, although they were nominally appointed by the emperor. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the emperor was the embodiment of all sovereign power in the realm, as enshrined in the Meiji Constitution of 1889. Since the enactment of the 1947 constitution, the role of emperor has been relegated to that of
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#17327823376592266-558: The Chōdō-in consisted of waiting rooms for senior officials, while the largest middle section of the compound was occupied by a courtyard surrounded symmetrically by the Twelve Halls, where the bureaucracy assembled for court ceremonies and was seated according to strict order of precedence . The Heian Jingū shrine in Kyoto includes an apparently faithful reconstruction of the Daigokuden in somewhat reduced scale. The Buraku-in
2369-449: The Dairi was built in a more intimate Japanese architectural style—though still on a grand scale. The Inner Palace represented a variant of the shinden-style architecture used in the aristocratic villas and houses of the period. The buildings, with unpainted surfaces and gabled and shingled cypress bark roofs, were raised on elevated wooden platforms and connected to each other with covered and uncovered slightly elevated passages. Between
2472-611: The Dairi , occupying buildings in the northern part of the enclosure. The most prestigious buildings, housing the empress and the official consorts, were the ones that had appropriate locations for such use according to the Chinese design principles – the Kokiden ( 弘徽殿 ) , the Reikeiden ( 麗景殿 ) and the Jōneiden ( 常寧殿 ) – as well as the ones closest to the imperial residence in
2575-478: The Diet and thence to the electorate. Nevertheless, the emperor enjoys three rights in the conduct of state business: (a) the right to be consulted before acting on ministerial advice; (b) the right to encourage a given policy or course of administrative action; and (c) the right to warn the Cabinet against the same. In these respects, the emperor personifies the democratic state, sanctions legitimate authority, ensures
2678-510: The Fujiwara residence in the north-eastern corner of the city that increasingly functioned as a temporary imperial residence and eventually developed into new permanent palace. The ruined site of Jingi-kan (the government department responsible for worship of the native kami ) is the longest-surviving known part of the Heian palace and apparently remained in some use until 1585. While
2781-456: The Heijō Palace in the earlier capital Heijō-kyō (in present-day Nara ) and the short-lived interim capital of Nagaoka-kyō . The main entrance to the palace was the gate Suzakumon ( 35°0′49″N 135°44′32″E / 35.01361°N 135.74222°E / 35.01361; 135.74222 ), which formed the northern terminus of the great Suzaku Avenue , which ran through
2884-880: The Imperial Regalia of Japan , the emperor's replica of the sacred mirror , was housed in the Unmeiden hall ( 温明殿 ) of the Dairi . The present-day Kyoto Imperial Palace , located in what was the north-eastern corner of Heian-kyō , reproduces much of the Heian-period Dairi . Emperor of Japan Naruhito [REDACTED] Fumihito [REDACTED] Shigeru Ishiba ( LDP ) Second Ishiba Cabinet ( LDP – Komeito coalition ) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Fukushiro Nukaga Kōichirō Genba [REDACTED] Masakazu Sekiguchi Hiroyuki Nagahama Saburo Tokura Kazuo Ueda The Emperor of Japan
2987-705: The Seiryōden (the Kōryōden ( 後涼殿 ) and the Fujitsubo ( 藤壷 ) ). Lesser consorts and ladies-in-waiting as well as occasionally some of the crown prince's consorts occupied other buildings of the Dairi further away from the emperor's quarters, i.e., towards north-east. A famous fictional depiction of the spatial status hierarchy concerns the eponymous character's low-ranking mother in The Tale of Genji . However, such distinctions were apparently not always strict. One of
3090-564: The Shishinden stood the Jijūden ( 仁寿殿 ) , a similarly constructed hall of somewhat smaller size that was originally intended to function as the emperor's living quarters. Beginning in the ninth century, the emperors often chose to reside in other buildings of the Dairi . A third smaller hall, the Shōkyōden ( 承香殿 ) was located next to the north along the main axis of the Dairi . It faced
3193-558: The Supreme Court of Japan , the emperor is personally immune from prosecution. By virtue of his position as the head of the Imperial House , the emperor is also recognized as the head of the Shinto religion, which holds him to be the direct descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu . According to tradition, the office of emperor was created in the 7th century BC, but the first historically verifiable emperors appear around
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3296-479: The development of Noh in terms of dramatic structure and presentation, the Nuo rite played a significant role in formulating Noh's religious and ritualistic character and features. The hypothesis that the Hata clan were a Jewish Nestorian tribe was proposed by Saeki Yoshiro in 1908. Saeki developed a theory described by Ben-Ami Shillony as being "somewhat similar" to that advanced by Norman McLeod in 1879. In 1879
3399-614: The 2nd century CE. According to the Nihon Shoki , a Heian-period Japanese chronicle, he and his followers were greeted warmly, and Uzumasa was granted a high government position. Roughly one hundred years later, during the reign of Emperor Ōjin , Yuzuki no kimi ( 弓月君 ) , visited Japan from the Kingdom of Baekje , in Korea. He had long wanted to emigrate to Japan, but the Kingdom of Silla would not permit him to do so. Having enjoyed
3502-544: The 5th or 6th centuries AD . The role of the Emperor of Japan has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic role and that of an actual imperial ruler. Since the establishment of the first shogunate in 1192, the emperors of Japan have rarely taken on a role as supreme battlefield commander, unlike many Western monarchs . Japanese emperors have nearly always been controlled by external political forces, to varying degrees. For example, between 1192 and 1867,
3605-434: The 7th–8th centuries AD. The growth of the samurai class from the 10th century gradually weakened the power of the imperial family over the realm, leading to a time of instability. Emperors are known to have come into conflict with the reigning shogun from time to time. Some instances, such as Emperor Go-Toba 's 1221 rebellion against the Kamakura shogunate and the 1336 Kenmu Restoration under Emperor Go-Daigo , show
3708-818: The Accession Audiences (where the accession of a new emperor was proclaimed to the wider officialdom) and certain Buddhist ceremonials as the only ones held in the Chōdō-in . The main building within the Chōdō-in was the Great Audience Hall ( 大極殿 , Daigokuden ) , which faced south from the northern end of the compound. This was a large (approximately 52 m (170 ft) east to west and 20 m (65 ft) north to south) Chinese-style building with white walls, vermilion pillars and green tiled roofs, intended for most important state ceremonies and functions. The smaller southern section of
3811-705: The Empire, combining in Himself the rights of sovereignty", and he "exercises them, according to the provisions of the present Constitution". His rights included to sanction and promulgate laws, to execute them and to exercise "supreme command of the Army and the Navy". The liaison conference created in 1893 also made the emperor the leader of the Imperial General Headquarters . On Meiji's death in 1912 and
3914-509: The Greater Palace, but no resources were available to support this and the project was not completed. Though the Heian palace fell into total disuse, Heian-kyō remained the capital until 1868, with the name Kyoto (meaning capital city ) applied to it starting in the eleventh century. The present Kyoto Imperial Palace is located immediately to the west of the site of the Tsuchimikado Mansion ( 土御門殿 , Tsuchimikadodono ) ,
4017-785: The Hata as a clan or house, and not as a tribe; only the members of the head family had the right to use the name of Hata. The Hata can be compared to other families who came from the continent during the Kofun period : the descendants of the Chinese Han dynasty , through Prince Achi no Omi, ancestor of the Aya clan , the Sakanoue clan , the Tamura clan , the Harada, and the Akizuki clan , as well as
4120-542: The House of Representatives. Extra sessions usually convene in the autumn and are opened then. The Tennō is regarded as the foremost Shintō priest in terms of religion. This sacred duty dates back to the Niiname-sai (新嘗祭, "tasting of new rice") imperial harvest festival. In this ritual, the emperor presents newly gathered rice to the gods. The celebration is known as Daijōsai (大嘗祭, "Great Tasting") and takes place in
4223-517: The Imperial Household Agency reversed its position and decided to allow researchers to enter some of the kofun with limited time and way. In the early 7th century, the emperor had begun to be called the " Son of Heaven " ( 天子 , tenshi , or 天子様 tenshi-sama ) . The title of emperor was borrowed from China, being derived from Chinese characters, and was retroactively applied to the legendary Japanese rulers who reigned before
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4326-447: The Inner Palace contained the residences of the imperial consorts and buildings more closely linked to the person of the emperor. The original role of the palace was to manifest the centralised government model adopted by Japan from China in the 7th century – known as the ritsuryō system, where the bureaucracy under the emperor was headed by the great council of state ( Daijō-kan ) and its subsidiary Eight Ministries. The palace
4429-463: The Nagaoka-kyō site. In 794 the court moved into this new capital of Heian-kyō , where it was to stay for more than 1000 years. The palace was the first and most important structure to be erected at the new capital, but it was not completely ready by the time of the move; the Great Audience Hall ( 大極殿 , Daigokuden ) was completed in 795, and the government office in charge of its construction
4532-653: The Scottish businessman Norman McLeod, who had lived in Japan since 1867, published in Nagasaki Japan and the Lost Tribes of Israel . Based on "personal research and observation", the book identified the Japanese as the descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes... Over thirty years later, in 1908, Saeki Yoshiro (1872-1965), a Waseda University professor, a Christian, and expert on Chinese Nestorians, published
4635-522: The State and of the unity of the People, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power." He is limited to performing "acts in matters of state" as delineated by the Constitution, without even nominal powers related to government . Moreover, said acts are only exercised in accordance with the binding advice and consent of the Cabinet , which is collectively responsible to
4738-652: The accession of his son Taishō , who suffered from ill-health and various disabilities, many of these powers were assumed by the Imperial Diet in an era known as the Taishō Democracy . Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) was in power during the Pacific War ; he controlled both the sovereign of the state and the imperial forces. The role of the emperor as head of the State Shinto religion was exploited during
4841-475: The administrative centre. In 1227 the palace burned down and was never rebuilt. The site was built over so that almost no trace of it remains. Knowledge of the palace is thus based on contemporary literary sources, surviving diagrams and paintings, and limited excavations. The palace was located at the northern centre of the rectangular city Heian-kyō , following the Chinese model of the Tang dynasty capital of Chang'an . The model had been adopted already for
4944-452: The ancient tombs known as kofun , constructed between the early 3rd century and the early 7th century AD. However, since the Meiji period , the Imperial Household Agency has refused to open the kofun to the public or to archaeologists, citing their desire not to disturb the spirits of the past emperors. Kofun period artefacts were also increasingly crucial in Japan as the Meiji government used them to reinforce their authority. In 2016,
5047-402: The areas where Japan's most important cities are now. They are said to have aided in the establishment of Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto), and of many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, including Fushimi Inari Taisha , Matsunoo Taisha , and Kōryū-ji . Emperor Yūryaku granted the clan the family name of Uzumasa in 471, in honor of Sake no kimi 's contributions to the spread of sericulture. Over
5150-410: The buildings and passages were gravel yards and small gardens. The largest building of the Dairi was the Throne Hall ( 紫宸殿 , Shishinden ) , a building reserved for official functions . It was a rectangular hall measuring approximately 30 m (98 ft) east to west and 25 m (82 ft) north to south. Along with its accompanying rectangular courtyard, the Shishinden was situated along
5253-401: The bureaucracy, receive monthly reports from officials, hold New Year congratulations and receive foreign ambassadors. However, the practice of the morning deliberations ceased by 810 as did the monthly reports. Foreign ambassadors were no longer received for most of the Heian period, and the New Year celebrations were abbreviated and moved into the Dairi by the end of the 10th century, leaving
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#17327823376595356-404: The call of sonnō jōi ("revere the emperor, expel the barbarians"). The domains of Satsuma and Chōshū , historic enemies of the Tokugawa, used this turmoil to unite their forces and won an important military victory outside of Kyoto against Tokugawa forces. On 9 November 1867, the Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu formally stepped down to restore Emperor Meiji to nominal full power. He issued
5459-401: The centre of the city from the gate Rashōmon . The palace thus faced south and presided over the symmetrical urban plan of Heian-kyō . In addition to the Suzakumon , the palace had 13 other gates located symmetrically along the side walls. A major avenue led to each of the gates, except for the three along the northern side of the palace, which was coterminous with the northern boundary of
5562-430: The city. The south-eastern corner of the Greater Palace was located in the middle of the present-day Nijō Castle . Less than ten years after a presumably politically motivated move of the capital from Heijō-kyō ( 平城京 ) (on the site of present-day Nara ) to Nagaoka-kyō ( 長岡京 ) (approx. 10 kilometers to the south-west of Kyoto), Emperor Kanmu decided to move the capital again, likely due to frequent flooding of
5665-434: The city. Often these secondary palaces were provided by the powerful Fujiwara family, which especially in the latter part of the Heian period exercised de facto control of politics by providing consorts to successive emperors. Thus the residences of the emperors' maternal grandparents started to usurp the residential role of the palace even before the end of the Heian period. The institution of rule by retired emperors, or
5768-477: The corresponding compounds of the earlier Naniwa-kyō and Nagaoka-kyō palaces, which had eight halls in the central courtyard; however, as the Heian Palace compound had 12 halls, the traditional name was somewhat misleading, and the more accurate Court of the Twelve Halls ( 十二堂院 , Jūnidō-in ) was also used. Originally the Chōdō-in was intended as the setting where the emperor was to preside over regular early morning deliberations on major state affairs by
5871-417: The current North Korea, by Emperor Wu of the Chinese Han dynasty . A flux of Chinese immigration into the Korean peninsula continued without cessation, implanting Chinese culture and technology there. Some scholars say the Hata clan did not come from Baekje , but from the Silla or Gaya area. . The first leader of the Hata in Japan, Uzumasa-no-Kimi-Sukune, arrived during the reign of Emperor Chūai , in
5974-462: The descendants of the Chinese Cao Wei dynasty through the Takamuko clan . The Hata are said to have come to Japan from China through the Chinese Lelang Commandery , then through the Kingdom of Baekje (both on the Korean peninsula). Lelang, near what is today Pyongyang , was the greatest of the Four Commanderies of Han created in 108 BC in the areas captured after the conquest of the Wiman Joseon state (194 BC – 108 BC), which corresponds to
6077-401: The east of the Chūwain . It measured approximately 215 m (710 ft) north to south and 170 m (560 ft) east to west. The main gate was the Shōmeimon gate ( 承明門 ) at the centre of the southern wall of the Dairi enclosure, immediately to the north of the Kenreimon gate. In contrast to the solemn, official, Chinese-style architecture of the Chōdō-in and the Buraku-in ,
6180-488: The emperor with great symbolic authority, but little political power, to the pope , and the shōgun to secular European rulers (e.g., the Holy Roman emperor ). In keeping with the analogy, they even used the term "emperor" in reference to the shōguns and their regents, e.g. in the case of Toyotomi Hideyoshi , whom missionaries called "Emperor Taico-sama" (from Taikō and the honorific sama ). A Dutch embassy report used similar terminology in 1691. Empress Go-Sakuramachi
6283-486: The emperors, who were still the source of sovereignty, although they could not exercise their powers independently from the shogunate. During the major part of 1192 to 1867, political sovereignty of the state was exercised by the shōguns or their shikken regents (1203–1333), whose authority was conferred by Imperial warrant. When Portuguese explorers first came into contact with the Japanese (see Nanban period ), they described Japanese conditions in analogy, likening
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#17327823376596386-408: The experience of meeting 120 people of his clan at Mimana . Yuzuki no Kimi left Japan but soon returned, in 283, with additional members of his clan "from 120 districts of his own land", as well as a massive hoard of treasures, including jewels, exotic textiles, and silver and gold, which were presented to the Emperor as a gift. The Hata are said to be descended from Yuzuki no kimi, who was allegedly
6489-443: The first and second major east–west avenues Ichijō ōji ( 一条大路 ) and Nijō ōji ( 二条大路 ) and 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) from west to east between the Nishi Ōmiya ōji ( 西大宮大路 ) and Ōmiya ōji ( 大宮大路 ) north-south avenues. The three main structures within the Greater Palace were the Official Compound ( 朝堂院 , Chōdō-in ) , the Reception Compound ( 豊楽院 , Buraku-in ) and the Inner Palace ( 内裏 , Dairi ) . The Chōdō-in
6592-434: The first year after the emperor's accession to the throne. The historical text Nihonshoki , written in the year 720, has the first mention of this ceremony, whose beginnings are believed to date back even further. The event evolved through time to become the Day of Thanksgiving for Labour, a recognized official holiday today. The office of the emperor is also cultural bearer and steward of tradition and culture. For example,
6695-409: The former site of Edo Castle in the heart of Tokyo , the current capital of Japan. Earlier, emperors resided in Kyoto , the ancient capital, for nearly eleven centuries. The Emperor's Birthday (currently 23 February) is a national holiday. Naruhito is the current emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito , on 1 May 2019. He
6798-501: The hands of most powerful families (in particular the Fujiwara) and new extralegal offices (such as Chamberlain's Office ( 蔵人所 , Kurōdodokoro ) , see below). Pertly as the consequence of these developments the real administrative centre of the complex moved gradually to the emperors residential Inner Palace, or Dairi . As activity was concentrated in the Dairi , other sections of the Greater Palace began to be regarded as increasingly unsafe, especially by night. One reason may be
6901-408: The imperial decree of constitutionalism on 14 April 1875. The Meiji Constitution was adopted on 11 February 1889. The emperor of Japan became an active ruler with considerable political power over foreign policy and diplomacy which was shared with an elected Imperial Diet . The Japanese subjects gained many rights and duties. The constitution described the emperor (in Article 4) as: "the head of
7004-410: The legality of his official acts, and guarantees the execution of the public will. These functions, when considered altogether, serve two purposes: foremost, to uphold the continuity and stability of Japanese democracy; and second, to foster a shared national identity and cultural heritage that transcends party politics. In order to maintain his institutional neutrality as Japan's national symbol, he
7107-428: The median north-south axis of the Dairi , facing the Shōmeimon gate. A tachibana orange tree and a cherry tree stood symmetrically on both sides of the front staircase of the building. The courtyard was flanked on both sides by smaller halls connected to the Shishinden , creating the same configuration of buildings (influenced by Chinese examples) that was found in the aristocratic shinden -style villas of
7210-460: The military and industrial power to prevent it. Unequal treaties coerced and took advantage of Japan. Consequently, Japan was forcibly opened to foreign trade and the shogunate proved incapable of hindering the "barbarian" interlopers; Emperor Kōmei thus began to assert himself politically. By the early 1860s, the relationship between the Imperial Court and the shogunate was changing radically. Disaffected domains and rōnin began to rally to
7313-547: The new imperial residence occupied the site of a former Hata leader's residence. Two of the most important official sections of the palace complex, the grand Chinese-style Official Compound ( 朝堂院 , Chōdō-in ) and Reception Compound ( 豊楽院 , Buraku-in ) , started to fall into disuse quite early on. This paralleled the decline of the elaborate Chinese-inspired ritsuryō government processes and bureaucracy, many of which were gradually either abandoned or reduced to empty forms while de facto decision making moved into
7416-587: The next few centuries, they were given the right to the status ( kabane ) of Miyatsuko, and later Imiki. A number of samurai clans, including the Chōsokabe clan of Shikoku, the Kawakatsu clan of Tanba, and the Jinbō clan of Echigo province, claimed descent from the Hata. The Koremune clan , also allegedly descended from the Emperor of Qin, were related to the Hata as well. Prince Koman-O came to dwell in Japan in
7519-458: The nine first emperors as mythical. Emperor Sujin , the 10th emperor, may have been a real historical figure. The emperors from Emperor Ōjin are considered as perhaps factual. As one argument, the reign of Emperor Kinmei ( c. 509 –571 AD), the 29th emperor, is the first for whom contemporary historiography is able to assign verifiable dates. Archaeological information about the earliest historical rulers of Japan may be contained in
7622-481: The north-west from Shishinden . Gradually the Seiryōden began to be used increasingly for meetings as well, with emperors spending much of their time in this part of the palace. The busiest part of the building was the Courtiers' Hall ( 殿上間 , Tenjōnoma ) , where high-ranking nobles came to meet in the presence of the emperor. The empress and other official and unofficial imperial consorts were also housed in
7725-510: The official government procedures described in the ritsuryō code was the establishment of a personal secretariat to the emperor, the Chamberlain's Office ( 蔵人所 , Kurōdodokoro ) . This office, which increasingly took over the role of coordinating the work of government organs, was set up in the Kyōshōden ( 校書殿 ) , the hall to the south-west of the Shishinden . To the north of
7828-541: The palace during the Heiji rebellion . They escaped a few weeks later, and forces loyal to them retook the palace and ended the rebellion. After a fire in 1177, the original palace complex was abandoned and emperors resided in smaller palaces (the former sato-dairi ) within the city and villas outside it. In 1227 a fire destroyed what remained of the Dairi , and the old Greater Palace went into essentially complete disuse. In 1334 Emperor Go-Daigo issued an edict to rebuild
7931-492: The palace from the 10th and 12th centuries showing the layout and function of the buildings within the Dairi . Modern archaeological study of the palace site has been hampered by the development of urban Kyoto over the palace ground ruins, but a few parts have been excavated, including the Burakuden. The Daidairi was a walled rectangular area extending approximately 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) from north to south between
8034-460: The palace itself has been completely destroyed, a significant amount of information regarding it has been obtained from contemporary and almost contemporary sources. The Heian Palace figures as a setting in many Heian period literary texts, both fiction and non-fiction. These provide important information on the palace itself, court ceremonies and functions held there and everyday routines of the courtiers living or working there. Notable examples include
8137-602: The people, rather than be treated like a god or robot. Inoue believes that during his reign, he transformed the symbolic role of emperor into a human being. In March 2019, the Mainichi reported 87% thought Akihito fulfilled his role as symbol of the state. On 30 April 2019, Emperor Akihito abdicated due to health issues and Heisei era ended. The previous time abdication occurred was Emperor Kōkaku in 1817. Akihito's eldest son, Naruhito ascended on 1 May 2019, referred to as Kinjō Tennō and Reiwa era started. In 1947
8240-443: The period. The Shishinden was used for official functions and ceremonies that were not held at the Daigokuden of the Chōdō-in complex. It took over much of the intended use of the larger and more formal building from an early date, as the daily business of government ceased to be conducted in the presence of the emperor in the Daigokuden already at the beginning of the ninth century. Connected to this diminishing reliance on
8343-407: The position of Tennō (emperor). Rather it is the emperor's symbolic and religious power of authority. Since the Kamakura shogunate , the emperor held de jure ownership of the realm. Throughout most of medieval Japan, the shogun 's legitimate authority was based on being appointed and receiving the power from the emperor even though the shogun was the de facto ruler. The emperor was considered
8446-420: The post-war Constitution of Japan ( 日本国憲法 , Nihonkoku-Kenpō ) became law when it received the emperor's assent on 3 November 1946. It provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights. Under its terms, the emperor of Japan is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" and exercises a purely ceremonial role without the possession of sovereignty. It
8549-909: The power struggle between the Imperial Court in Kyoto and the military governments of Japan. There have been seven non-imperial families who have controlled Japanese emperors: the Soga (530s–645), the Fujiwara (850s–1070), the Taira (1159–1180s), the Minamoto (1192–1199), the Hōjō (1199–1333), the Ashikaga (1336–1565), and the Tokugawa (1603–1867). However, every shogun from the Minamoto, Ashikaga, and Tokugawa families had to be officially recognized by
8652-569: The premiere Noh playwright in history, who attributed the origins of Noh to Hata no Kawakatsu . According to Zeami's writings, Kōkatsu, the ancestor of both the Kanze and Komparu Noh lineages, introduced ritual dances to Japan in the sixth century; this form would later evolve into Okina and then into Noh. A more important influence upon the formation and the character of Noh is the Chinese Nuo rite . While sanyue ( sangaku ) and daqu influenced
8755-461: The prevalent superstition of the period: uninhabited buildings were avoided for fear of spirits and ghosts, and even the great Buraku-in compound was thought to be haunted. In addition, the level of security maintained at the palace went into decline, and by the early 11th century only one palace gate, the Yōmeimon in the east, appears to have been guarded. Hence burglary and even violent crime became
8858-649: The reign of Emperor Ōjin (c. 310). His successors received the name Hata. This name was changed to Koremune in 880. The wife of Shimazu Tadahisa (1179–1227) (son of Minamoto no Yoritomo and ancestor of the Shimazu clan of Kyūshū), was a daughter of Koremune Hironobu . The population of Neyagawa in Osaka Prefecture includes a number of people who claim descent from the Hata. The cities of Ōhata and Yahata are not directly related to Hata clan. The Hata were also claimed as ancestors by Zeami Motokiyo ,
8961-481: The south. The Shingon-in ( 真言院 , Shingon Chapel ) was built right next to the Inner Palace and used for ceremonies held on the emperor's behalf. Apart from Tō-ji and Sai-ji , it was the only Buddhist establishment permitted within the capital. Permission to build it inside the palace, granted in 834, shows the influence of the Shingon sect during the early Heian Period. The Dairi , or Inner Palace,
9064-835: The state. To this end, the emperor, on behalf of the Japanese people: Regular ceremonies of the emperor with a constitutional basis are the Imperial Investitures (Shinninshiki) in the Tokyo Imperial Palace and the Speech from the Throne ceremony in the House of Councillors in the National Diet Building . The latter ceremony opens ordinary and extra sessions of the Diet. Ordinary sessions are opened each January and also after new elections to
9167-399: The transfer of several remaining ceremonies into the smaller-scale setting of the Inner Palace. From the mid-Heian period, the palace suffered several fires and other disasters. During reconstructions, emperors and some of the office functions resided outside the palace. This, along with the general loss of political power of the court, acted to further diminish the importance of the palace as
9270-522: The war, creating an Imperial cult that led to kamikaze bombers and other manifestations of fanaticism . This in turn led to the requirement in the Potsdam Declaration for the elimination "for all time of the authority and influence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into embarking on world conquest". In State Shinto, the emperor was believed to be an arahitogami ( 現人神 ) (manifest kami or incarnation of
9373-594: Was a rectangular walled enclosure situated directly to the north of the Suzakumon gate in the centre of the southern wall of the Greater Palace. It was based on Chinese models and followed Chinese architectural styles. Archaeological evidence from earlier capital palaces shows a generally stable design from the 7th century onwards. It was also called the Court of the Eight Ministries ( 八省院 , Hasshō-in ) as
9476-504: Was an immigrant clan active in Japan since the Kofun period (250–538), according to the history of Japan laid out in Nihon Shoki . Hata is the Japanese reading of the Chinese surname Qin ( Chinese : 秦 ; pinyin : Qín ) given to the State of Qin and the Qin dynasty (the ancestral name was Ying ), and to their descendants established in Japan. The Nihon Shoki presents
9579-461: Was another large rectangular Chinese-style compound, situated to the west of the Chōdō-in . It was built for official celebrations and banquets and used also for other types of entertainment such as archery contests. Like the Chōdō-in , the Buraku-in had a hall at the central northern end of the enclosure overseeing the court. This hall, the Burakuden ( 豊楽殿 , Hall of Abundant Pleasures ) ,
9682-408: Was designed to provide an appropriate setting for the emperor's residence, the conduct of great affairs of state, and the accompanying ceremonies. While the residential function of the palace continued until the 12th century, the facilities built for grand state ceremonies began to fall into disuse by the 9th century. This was due to both the abandonment of several statutory ceremonies and procedures and
9785-462: Was disbanded in 805, though work on the place was still incomplete. Construction of the palace and imperial family residences was a major expenditure for Kanmu's administration, accounting for the majority of revenues gathered during his reign, according to a 10th-century source. The powerful immigrant Hata family may have influenced and financially supported the decision to move the capital to Heian-kyō, closer to its power base. Later sources claim that
9888-454: Was drawn up under the Allied occupation that followed World War II and changed Japan's previous Prussian-style Meiji Constitution that granted the emperor theoretically unlimited powers. The liberal constitution was inspired by several European states. Currently, it is a rigid document and the oldest unamended constitution. Historically, territorial designations are not a requirement for
9991-460: Was excluded from the postwar Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal . Scholars dispute the power he had and the role he played during WWII. Emperor Shōwa's reign from 1926 until his death in 1989 makes him the longest-lived and longest-reigning historical Japanese emperor, and one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the world . The Emperors of Japan have not visited Yasukuni Shrine since 1978. Hirohito maintained an official boycott of Yasukuni Shrine after it
10094-568: Was located to the north-east of the Chōdō-in somewhat to the east of the central north-south axis of the Greater Palace. Its central feature was the Throne Hall. The Dairi encompassed the emperor's living quarters and the pavilions of the imperial consorts and ladies-in-waiting (collectively, the Kōkyū ). It was enclosed within two sets of walls. In addition to the Dairi itself, the outer walls enclosed some household offices, storage areas, and
10197-460: Was never rebuilt. Starting in 960, the Dairi was also repeatedly destroyed by fires, but it was always rebuilt, and it continued to be used as the official imperial residence until the late 12th century. According to historian William H. McCullough, the Dairi fires were frequent enough that arson is "generally assumed". During the periods of rebuilding, the emperors frequently had to stay at their secondary palaces ( 里内裏 , sato-dairi ) within
10300-539: Was occupied by ministries, lesser offices, workshops, storage buildings and the large open space of the Banqueting Pine Grove ( 宴の松原 , En no Matsubara ) to the west of the Dairi . The buildings of the Council of State ( 太政官 , Daijōkan ) were situated in a walled enclosure immediately to the east of the Chōdō-in , laid out in the typical symmetrical plan of buildings opening to a courtyard in
10403-603: Was revealed to him that Class-A war criminals had secretly been enshrined. The boycott was continued by his son and grandson, Akihito and Naruhito . By 1979, Emperor Shōwa was the only monarch in the world with the monarchical title " emperor ." Emperor Shōwa was the longest-reigning historical monarch in Japan's history and the world's longest reigning monarch until surpassed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in July 2008. According to journalist Makoto Inoue of The Nikkei , Emperor Emeritus Akihito wanted to be closer to
10506-472: Was the last ruling empress of Japan and reigned from 1762 to 1771. During the Sakoku period of 1603 to 1868, there was very limited trade between Japan and foreigners. The Dutch were the only westerners who had limited access to Japan. Emperor Go-Daigo succeeded in 1333 to get back the direct authority directly to the emperor after overthrowing the Kamakura shogunate , with the help of Ashikaga Takauji ,
10609-474: Was used by the emperor and courtiers presiding over activities in the Buraku-in . The Buraku-in also fell gradually into disuse as many functions were moved to the Dairi . It was destroyed in at 1063 and not rebuilt. Unlike most of the palace, the Buraku-in site was subjected to some archaeological excavations in the twentieth century. Apart from the Inner Palace, the remaining area of the Greater Palace
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