Heijō-kyō

Heijō-kyō was Japan’s capital from 710 to 784, built on the site of present-day Nara. Its planned grid and imperial compounds reflected the influence of Tang-dynasty Chang’an.

Nara period: A period of Japanese history from 710 to 794, when the imperial court was based in Nara. Heijō-kyō was the seat of government for most of this era.
Chang'an: The capital of several Chinese dynasties, including the Tang, laid out on a vast orthogonal grid. Heijō-kyō drew on Chang’an’s planned-city model while adapting it to Japan.
Capital relocation to Nagaoka-kyō: The transfer of Japan’s capital from Nara to Nagaoka-kyō in 784. It ended Heijō-kyō’s role as the imperial seat.
Great Buddha of Nara: A monumental bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha housed in Tōdai-ji’s Great Buddha Hall. Its dedication in 752 embodied the court’s public sponsorship of Buddhism.
Heijō Palace: The imperial palace complex at Heijō-kyō, containing government offices and the emperor’s residence. Its enclosures anchored the capital’s northern end and housed its central government.
Fujiwara-kyō: Japan’s capital from 694 to 710, located between the later cities of Nara and Kashihara. It was the court’s immediate capital before its move to Heijō-kyō.
Nagaoka-kyō: A planned Japanese capital that served the court from 784 to 794. It was the first destination after the court left Heijō-kyō.
Yakushi-ji: A Buddhist temple in Nara whose origins lie in a temple founded by Emperor Tenmu in the late seventh century. Its relocation to the new capital brought an established temple institution into Nara.
Jōri system: A land-allocation system that divided agricultural regions into square units and numbered fields. Its grid-based surveying echoed the capital’s ordered approach to space.
Empress Genmei: The Japanese ruler who reigned from 707 to 715 and established the capital at Heijō-kyō. Her court initiated the move to the new capital in 710.

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