Database: Kyoto

Kyoto was founded in 794 under the name Heian-kyō, the "capital of peace and tranquility." Its ancient name was gradually abandoned during the 13th century in favor of Kyoto, which simply means "the capital." In the 16th century, it was also referred as Miyako (the Miyacco of the Portuguese) with the same characters as Kyoto.

Like the old capital Heijō-kyō (Nara) abandoned in 784, the new capital was modeled on the capital of the Tang dynasty, Chang'an. As a result, the city was built on a grid, which is still visible today. The city was divided in the center by Suzaku Avenue, running north to south it was 85 meters wide. It extended from the imperial palace in the north to the monumental entrance in the south, Rashomon Gate. This wide avenue divided the city in half, the right capital (to the west) and the left capital (to the east). Over the centuries, urban development abandoned this strict layout and by the 15th century, Kyoto was divided into two cities. Kamigyo in the north and Shimogyo 2km further south. Kamigyo housed most of the aristocracy and some warriors, while Shimogyo was the city of artisans and merchants. The Ashikaga shoguns left Kamakura in the Kanto in 1338 and settled in Kyoto, which then experienced a period of prosperity. However, the capital was devastated by the Ōnin War (1467-1477), and Kyoto was left to the mercenaries from the two warring armies. By the end of the 15th century, Kyoto, which may have had up to 150,000 inhabitants, was a shadow of its former glory. In the 16th century, the residents of Shimogyo, the machishu, organized themselves autonomously to defend the city. However, between 1532 and 1536 the city fell under the control of the zealots from the Lotus sect. It was not until the 16th century under Hideyoshi that Kyoto could be revived. Hideyoshi made numerous improvements, including the Takase-gawa canal, which was dug to improve the connection with Osaka, then a new city under construction.