Heiankyuu　平安宮

KEY WORD :　architecture / general terms

Heian Imperial Palace, located in the northern part of the Heian Capital. Enclosed by clay walls, buildings included the Dairi 内裏 (Imperial residence), blocks for ceremonies and various government offices. Information about the size and construction of the palace is contained in the Daidairi-zu 大内裏図 (The picture of Heian Imperial Palace) copied out during the Kamakura period, and the Daidairi-zu Koushou 大内裏図考証 (Historical research on the Heian Imperial Palace) by Uramatsu Kozen 裏松固禅 (1797). According to these sources, the size of the palace was 384 jou 丈 (about 1.1km) from east to west and 460 jou (about 1.4km) from south to north, but recent studies indicate that the original palace was1.1km square with three gates on each side, and had a space of two chou 町 (about 250m) between the northern side of the palace and Kyougoku 京極 Blvd to the north. It appears that the palace was extended to Kyougoku Blvd at the end of the 9c to accommodate the Ministry of Finance, Ookurashou 大蔵省 storehouses, and an two additional gates were built, one on the east and one on the west side of the palace. In the central-south area were the administrative offices called Hasshouin 八省院 or Choudouin 朝堂院, with the banqueting area Buraku-in 豊楽院 to the west of them. The Imperial residence was located northeast of the administrative offices, and west of it there was an open space called "Utage no matsubara 宴の松原". The purpose of this space remains unclear: it was either intended to be a pine grove for banquets, or to provide extra space for rebuilding the imperial residence. The central building of the palace was called the Shishinden 紫宸殿. Four buildings with north-south ridges were placed on the left and right sides in front of the Shishinden, enclosing the south garden of the Shishinden. The Seiryouden 清涼殿, where the Emperors usually lived, was placed north-west of the Shishinden. The south garden of the Shishinden and the east garden of the Seiryouden were frequently used for ceremonial events. A building called Jijuuden 仁寿殿 was located just north of the Shishinden, and the two buildings were connected together as a pair, so the Shishinden was also known as Naden 南殿 (the south building). To the north of the emperor's residential quarters, twelve buildings were gradually built for the emperor's wives. Surrounding the residential area were various government offices. The Ministry of Finance was on the northern side,　the Imperial Guard Division, Konoefu 近衛府 and Hyouefu 兵衛府 on east and west sides of the Dairi, and central government offices such as the Prime Minister's Office Dajoukan 太政官 and the Ministry of the Interior, Minbushou 民部省 concentrated to the south-east. However, these offices were reorganized in each period from the 9c onwards. Between 8,000 and 10,000 people used these buildings. One reason for the numerous transformations of Heiankyuu was destruction by fire. The palace was first burnt down in 960, the first of many occasions when the palace had to be rebuilt. But many buildings were not rebuilt after a huge blaze in 1177, and the Dairi was not rebuilt after a fire of 1227. After that a building called Tsuchimikadodono 土御門殿, the forerunner to the present Kyoto Gosho 京都御所, was made the imperial residence.

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