Kuni-kyo
Encyclopedia
Kuni-kyō was the capital city of Japan between 740 and 744, with the palace (恭仁宮 Kuni-kyū or Kuni no miya) built in present-day city of Kizugawa
by order of Emperor Shōmu
. The city of Kuni-kyō was not completed, as the capital was once again moved to Naniwa-kyō
(Osaka
), only four years later. Excavations so far (as of 2006) have revealed key buildings, laid out following the Chinese pattern, as the Daigokuden (大極殿) and Dairi (内裏). The area of palace is estimated to have been 560 meters wide east to west and 750 meters long, north to south.
Kizugawa, Kyoto
is a city in southern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on March 12, 2007 by the merger of the towns of Kamo, Kizu and Yamashiro, all from Sōraku District. It is the southernmost city in the prefecture...
by order of Emperor Shōmu
Emperor Shomu
was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 723.-Traditional narrative:...
. The city of Kuni-kyō was not completed, as the capital was once again moved to Naniwa-kyō
Naniwa-kyo
is a historical Japanese capital city, which was located in present-day central Osaka city.Traces of ancient palaces in Naniwa were found in 1957. Through more recent excavations, the existence of a city was confirmed, at least for the latter period in the 8th century.- External links :*...
(Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
), only four years later. Excavations so far (as of 2006) have revealed key buildings, laid out following the Chinese pattern, as the Daigokuden (大極殿) and Dairi (内裏). The area of palace is estimated to have been 560 meters wide east to west and 750 meters long, north to south.