14th International Conference of Historical Geographers 23–27 August 2009, Kyoto, Japan

Full-day field trips (25 Aug 2009) Option B: Kyoto

Fully booked up. Thank you! (12^th August)

Kyoto, 794-2009: Historical landscapes of the capital

Excursion leaders: Yumio Tomatsuri (Nara Women’s University), Aki Yamamura (Aichi Prefectural University), and Kazuhiro Uesugi (Kyoto Prefectural University)

It would be a shame not to see the historical landscape of Kyoto while participating in ICHG 2009! Kyoto was the capital of Japan for the longest time (794–1868) and reminders of its ancient history can be found in its landscape. The field trip will take you around Kyoto on a bus arranged exclusively for this tour. We will also explore a bit on foot (short distances) in order to understand the four historical stages of the city’s development:

1. The formation of the ancient capital, Heian-Kyo, built in 794.

<Highlights>

# Grid pattern of streets and avenues constructed at the time of Heian-Kyo (the typical pattern of ancient East Asian capitals).

# A model of Heian-Kyo (1/1,000: 7.8 m × 6.6 m), which was made in 1994 as a monument to the 1200th anniversary of the city.

# A few old sites of the palace.

2. Transformation of the city in the medieval ages.

# Many large temples built as major centres in the eastern and northern suburbs of Heian-Kyo, especially those belonging to the Rinzai-Zen sect (for example, Nanzenji Temple) when the western half of Heian-Kyo was abandoned as an urban area.

3. Reformation of the city in the early modern ages by the military overlord TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi (c.1537-1598).

# Renovated sites of Hideyoshi’s castle town, especially a series of earthen city walls (called ‘odoi’) surrounding Kyoto and the ‘Teramachi’ area where many temples were concentrated.

4. Modernization of Kyoto after the relocation of the capital to Tokyo in 1868.

# A water supply aqueduct and channel between Lake Biwa and Kyoto, which modernized the city’s inland transportation, waterworks, and hydroelectric power generation.

# The modern exhibition site.

We recommend this optional one-day tour for all colleagues and their families, especially those visiting Kyoto for the first time who would like to walk around, and those seriously interested in the history and landscape of Kyoto. You will experience Kyoto’s historic attractions and take home many wonderful memories of your friends from around the world.

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