Sanjo Avenue is the main road of Heian-kyo, running east to west on the south side of Takakura No Miya. Between Takakura No Miya and Sanjo Avenue, there were built-up areas and ditches, and the space between the road and buildings was demarcated.

This painting is based on archaeological findings and written records and is an imaginary image of Sanjo Avenue in the Heian period. People and ox carts would have been passing by on the road, and high-ranking government officials would have been seen as they would have been in this neighborhood.

Sanjo Dori today was Sanjo Avenue in Heian-kyo at the time. Sanjo Avenue was one of the main roads in Heian-kyo, and its width was about 23.9 meters, which is the standard width of an avenue. The width of Sanjo Dori today is about 6 to 7 meters, which means that during the Heian period, it was three to four times as wide as today.

Sanjo Avenue Reclaimed Land Remains

The main street to the south of Takakura No Miya is Sanjo Avenue.

Excavations of Heian-kyo sites in Kyoto often reveal traces of old roads. However, traces of Heian-period roads are often scraped away over time, and it is rare for the road surface to remain intact.

In most cases, only the remains of roadside ditches are found, but in the area on the west side of Sanjo Agaru, Karasuma Dori, Nakagyo-ku, four ditches were discovered on the north side of Sanjo Avenue. These are estimated to be from the mid to late Heian period, Muromachi period, Momoyama period, and Edo period, giving us an idea of the changes in land use at that time.

Of particular interest were excavations conducted on the north side of Sanjo Dori Higashinotoin Higashi Hairu, Nakagyo-ku, Tokyo. In this area, a homogeneous clay layer was found on a portion of the land along Sanjo Dori that had been raised approximately 50 cm. On the south side, there was a deep excavation of about 15 meters, and these were found to be the northern ditch of Sanjo Avenue of the Muromachi period.

Also found on the side were remains that were thought to be part of the foundation of a reclaimed land wall that surrounded the residences of Heian-period aristocrats. This is something very rare for a Heian-kyo site, and a section of this structure was hardened with a special fat and displayed as a "stripped specimen" at The Museum of Tokyo.

The eastern side of Heian-kyo is called Sakyo and the western side Ukyo, with Suzaku Avenue as the central axis. Sanjo Avenue in Sakyo was a particularly prosperous area of Kyoto, lined with many residences of upper class aristocrats and commoners.

Important residences and facilities were built here through the Heian to Kamakura periods, contributing greatly to the development of Kyoto.

Let's start from the east side.

On the northeast side of the intersection of Sanjo Avenue and Higashi Kyogoku Avenue (north of present-day Teramachi Higashi-Agaru, Sanjo Dori) there was Kyogokuji, built by Prince Kaya, son of Emperor Kanmu, and dengaku was lively performed during a festival.

The area was a vibrant place with many homes of common people and merchants.

To the south was Sanjo Kyogoku-dai, which was used as a temporary palace of Emperor Sutoku and Emperor Emeritus Toba in the late Heian period. The imperial palace of Taikenmon-in Fujiwara No Ubuko was also located in this area. It is said that she died here in 1145, and that Cloistered Emperor Toba deeply mourned her death.

Various Heian-period residences existed along Sanjo Oji Street from Tokyo Kyoku Oji to Higashinotoin Oji.Notable among them is Takakura-gaku, the palace of Emperor Go-Shirakawa's son, Prince Inin.In 1180, Prince Uenin raised an army against the Heike clan, which was the precursor to the later civil wars of Jishou and Juei (Genpei wars).

Various Heian-period residences existed along Sanjo Avenue from Higashinotoin Dori to Muromachi Dori, including the East Residence, West Residence and South Residence on Sanjo Dori. The East Residence was where the Heiji Rebellion was ignited, and the West Residence was the main imperial palace of Cloistered Emperor Shirakawa, who established the imperial government in the late Heian period.

The area south of Sanjo Dori between Higashinotoin Dori and Karasuma Dori was lined with many private houses in the Heian period, but the area further south was known as the precincts of Rokkakudo Chohoji.

Although it was generally forbidden to build temples other than Toji (the East Temple) and Saiji (the West Temple) in Heian-kyo, there were no such strict regulations for the smaller “tsujido”, a small space for a Buddhist statue, and this sometimes developed into a large temple as it became popular among the common people. It is estimated that Rokkakudo already existed in the mid-Heian period.

Further west of here, on the west side of Sanjo Dori Omiya, Shinsen-en was built to the north and Shijo-goin was built to the south. Shinsen-en was a detached palace built by Emperor Kanmu when the capital was moved to Heian-kyo. It had a splendid garden with a large pond, and the Emperor often went to this garden to enjoy feasts and hunting.

To the west, Kangaku-in, an institution of higher education for the Fujiwara clan, was located in Sanjo Ichibo 5-cho, Sakyo on the north side, and Enmei-in, a hospital and welfare facility, was located in Shijo Ichibo 8-cho, Sakyo on the south side. On the northeastern side of Sanjo Dori Senbon was Shogaku-in, an institution of higher education for the clans of imperial origin. In this area, public facilities and educational institutions were established within Heian-kyo.

At the site of the Sanjo East Residence at that time is a monument for it.

Heiji Monogatari Emaki (copy), Siege on the Palace from The Tale of Heiji, KANO Osanobu, owned by Tokyo National Museum
Source: ColBase（https://colbase.nich.go.jp/）

It depicts a scene of Sanjo East Residence being burned down.

Along Sanjo Dori from Higashinotoin Dori to Muromachi Dori, there were three large residences: the East Residence, the West Residence and the South Residence. These residences were the scene of historical changes from the late Heian Period to the early Kamakura Period.

The Sanjo East Residence used to exist in the area where the NTT Building and ShinPuhKan now stand. In 1159, the Sanjo East Residence was burned down by Fujiwara No Nobuyori and Minamoto No Yoshitomo, a tragedy (Heiji Rebellion) that is depicted in the "Heiji Monogatari Emaki”.

The Sanjo West Residence was located on the west side of Karasuma Dori, near the Karasuma Building and Gallery of Kyoto Traditional Arts & Crafts. This was the main imperial palace of Cloistered Emperor Shirakawa, who established the imperial government, and where the Cloistered Emperor spent the rest of his life.

Furthermore, the Sanjo West Residence was located on the south side of Karasuma Nishi Agaru, Sanjo Dori, in the area where the Mizuho Bank Kyoto Chuo Branch, Hotel Monterey Kyoto, and Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Sanjo are located today. This residence was used as the palace of Cloistered Emperor Toba, Josaimon-in, Shichijoin Fujiwara no Fujiwara no Shukushi (mother of Emperor Gotoba), Emperor Emeritus Gotoba, and others.

Excavations revealed the existence of a magnificent garden, and the stones and gravel from that garden are now being reused in the courtyard of the Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Sanjo.

At the current location of The Museum of Kyoto, Nakagyo Post Office, and the Children Consultation Center Patna used to be Takakura No Miya, an address called in the Heian period “Heian-kyo Sakyo Sanjo Shikobo Yoncho”.

This address was first mentioned in documents in the late 10th century in a land sales ticket (issued on August 15, 964). According to this document, at that time, a residence with a hinoki bark roof, a “garage” for cow carts and a dwelling for servants.

In the latter half of the 12th century, at this location was the residence of Fujiwara No Suenari, the second-highest government official, and this was reportedly inherited by his son, Fujiwara No Kinmitsu. His sister, Nariko, was favored by Emperor Go-Shirakawa and bore and raised six imperial sons and daughters, including Prince Nichihito and Princess Shikishi. It was here that Prince Nichihito later issued a decree for the Heike clan to be defeated.

Tsukihyakushi Takakura No Tsuki Hasebe Nobutsura, by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (a.k.a. Yoshitoshi Taiso) in the Meiji Era, owned by Tokyo National Museum
Source: NDL Digital Collections

Prince Mochihito (1151-1180) was born to Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Nariko, the younger sister of Fujiwara No Kinmitsu. Prince Mochihito is known for issuing a decree at Takakura No Miya (Takakura Imperial Palace) to oust the Taira Clan. Samurai warriors and temples and shrines throughout Japan responded to this decree.

According to a book, Azuma Kagami, the decree reached Minamoto No Yoritomo, who was in Izu, and led him to take a stand against the Taira clan. However, Prince Mochihito’s plan was exposed by the Taira clan. The Tale of the Heike depicted that he escaped by dressing as a woman while his vassal, Nobutsura Hasebe, was fighting. However, his resolve was the spark that ignited the overthrow of the Heike clan.

Princess Shikishi (1149-1201), whose poet was included in the Shin Kokin Wakashu, was the daughter of Emperor Go-Shirakawa and sister of Prince Nichihito. She is believed to have been born at Takakura No Miya, as her brother was.

She is one of the most famous female poets in the Shin Kokin Wakashu. Many of her poems are included in the "Senzai Wakashu" and other imperial anthologies, and there is “Princess Shikishi Collection”. She is also known for having received a dedication of "Korai Futei Sho" from Fujiwara No Shunzei

One of her famous poets is about hiding love: My soul should part with my body, I dare say; being here may weaken my determination to hide my love. She was designated to be the Kamo Saiin at the age of ten, and then she retired for being sick later, followed by becoming a Buddhist priest.

The road to the east of Takakura No Miya is Takakura Alley. Excavations have allowed us to confirm the actual layout of the Heian-kyo site. The road surface and the ditch of Takakura Alley were discovered during the survey for the construction of the main building of The Museum of Kyoto. The ditch discovered in the excavation was the boundary between Takakura no Miya and Takakura Alley, since Takakura no Miya was located on the west side of Takakura Alley. The location of the ditch is now marked on the sidewalk just outside the entrance on the Takakura-Dori side.

Situation at bottom of well

Chinese white porcelain excavated from the Takakura No Miya site, of the Heian Period, owned by The Museum of Kyoto

In addition to the built-up areas and ditches, traces of life at that time have been excavated from the interior of the housing site, such as wells, clay pits, and ditches for housing lots.

Inside, there are wells filled with earthenware and porcelain, and it seems that people at that time apparently threw in large quantities of these vessels.

The photo shows the well detected, and the excavated artifacts reveal the actual vessels used by the people at that time. Based on the age of the excavated earthenware, it is thought that the well was abandoned in approximately the 12th century.

The area around Sanjo Avenue in Ukyo (the right side of Heian-kyo) was the location of Suzakuin, which is estimated to have been founded by Emperor Saga. This building was renovated to be one of the largest facility (along with Shinsen-en) in Heian-kyo as a detached palace by Emperor Emeritus Uda, and then loved by Emperor Daigo and Emperor Suzaku, and to this palace many excursions were made.

In the early and mid-Heian period, the right side of Heiankyo often had few buildings named after specific people, but this does not mean that development was slow. In fact, a small group of buildings has been excavated in the vicinity of Sanjo Dori. However, these were not the residences of senior aristocrats, so their names were not recorded in documents.

In Ukyo Sanjo, there was the luxurious "Nishi Sanjo Dai", known for its beautiful cherry blossoms and called "Hyakka-tei". This mansion was temporarily the residence of Empress Dowager Fujiwara No Nobuko, and a large group of buildings, presumably the remains of this mansion, was discovered during excavations in 2001.

In the late Heian period, it became uncommon for aristocratic residences to be built in the right side of Heian-kyo, and many government officials and common people moved to the left side (Sakyo). As a result, the right area was transformed into rice paddies, a phenomenon known as the "decline of Ukyo”. It is said that the reason why the area was avoided as a residential area was because there were many wetlands in the western half of the area.

Many manors were then established around Sanjo Avenue in the right area. It is believed that a variety of magnates were involved in these manors, including upper nobility, lower nobility, and temples and shrines. In particular, Koizumi no sho, which belonged to the Fujiwara family of regents, was the largest manor, covering a total area of approximately 81.5 hectares.

Higashi Sanjo Dono (model)

Size: 1/100 Year of production: 1965

Supervision: MORI Osamu

Design: Fujioka Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology

Production: Kyoto Kagaku

Collection: The Museum of Kyoto

Higashi Sanjo Dono was a Heian-period mansion built in the area between Nijo Avenue (to the North) and Oshi Alley (to the South) and Nishinotoin Avenue (to the south) and Machijiri Alley (to the east), in the current Kamaza, Oshikoji-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto. It was founded by Fujiwara No Yoshifusa (804-872) and was inherited by the hereditary line of the regent family; thus Fujiwara No Kaneie (929-990) was called Higashi-Sanjo-Dono.

His daughter, Senshi (961-1001), who is the mother of Emperor Ichijo (980-1011), was the first Nyoin (a title for women who are high in rank) and named herself Higashi Sanjo In after the dwelling. After the burning down of the sanctuary in 1005, this mansion was used as the temporary dwelling of Emperor Ichijo, but was destroyed by fire in 1166.

It is known as a representative example of the shinden-zukuri style of residences of the time. Compared to Higashi Sanjo Dono, for which there is a relatively large amount of information in documents, information on other residences is scarce, making it difficult to get an accurate picture of their appearance, but it is believed that many residences of a similar style were built. Takakura no Miya was one such residence.

Sanjo Avenue was not limited to the center of Heian-kyo, but was extended outside of it as well. When a road in Kyoto extended outside the capital, and in the case of Sanjo Avenue, to the name “末” (Matsu/sue) was added to show it is an extension of the original avenue. In particular, Sanjo the extension of Sanjo Avenue on the eastern side of Heian-kyo was directly connected to the Kamogawa riverbank and the Kamo River.

It is not certain if there was a bridge at this location in the Heian period before the Sanjo Bridge was built in the 16th century. The water volume of the Kamo River was normally low and could be crossed without a bridge, but when it rained, the Kamo River suddenly swelled and became known as a "raging river”; there is a sad episode of a monk who lost his life after entering the swollen Kamo River in an ox cart.

And the importance of the extension of Sanjo Avenue lay in its connection to the Tokaido Highway. In the early Heian Period, the Tokaido Highway passed south of Heian-kyo, but later, a new road was established to cross the extension of Sanjo Avenue to the Higashiyama Mountains in the vicinity of Kujoyama mountains.

In the beginning, the road was covered with stones, making it difficult to pass through, but Gyogen, a monk of the mid-Heian period who was called "Kawahijiri” and respected by the common people, asked for cooperation from people passing along this highway and succeeded in removing stones on a large scale in 1016, with the support of Fujiwara No Sanesuke, Minister of the Right, and this work made the road passable.

The Gion Matsuri originated from Goryoe that started in the Heian period. Goryoe refers to a ceremonial gathering held to repose the souls of those who had passed away, believing that epidemics and the spread of diseases are the work of their grudge spirits.

The first Goryoe was held in Shinsen-en in 863, and included the preaching of the Golden Light Sutra and Heart Sutra, and the dedication of songs and dances. Later, they were also held in the surrounding areas of Heian-kyo, such as Funaokayama, Shino, Kinugasa, and Hanazono.

Yasaka Township, Atago County, located east of the Kamo River, was one such place. It was here that the Yasaka Goryoe, or Gion Goryoe, began.

There are various theories regarding the establishment of the Gion Shrine. One theory is that in the early Heian period, a temple called Kanshinin, enshrining Bhaisajyaguru, was built in Yasakago, and in one corner of the temple, Tenjindo, enshrining Gozu Tenno, was established.

The name Gion also comes from Jetavana in India. Some say that this is because the act of the regent Fujiwara No Mototsune, who moved his house and built a hall, was like the founding of Jetavana, and others say that it is because Gozu Tenno was the guardian deity of Jetavana. When the Goryoe in Yasakago became popular, Tenjindo became the center of the Gion Kanjinin and was called Gion Shrine.

In the late Heian period, the area between Sanjo and Gojo within Kyoto was recognized as the site of the Gion Shrine, and people came to live in the area wishing for protection from the deity. The area south of Gojo became such a residential area of the Inari Shrine, and the northern part of the Goryo Shrine and the Imamiya Shrine.