Capital of Japan


The current capital of Japan is Tokyo. In the course of history, the national capital has been in many locations other than Tokyo.

History

Traditionally, the home of the Emperor is considered the capital. From 794 through 1868, the Emperor lived in Heian-kyō, modern-day Kyoto. After 1868, the seat of the Government of Japan and the location of the Emperor's home was moved to Tokyo.
In 1941, the Ministry of Education published the "designation of Tokyo as capital".

Law and custom

While no laws have designated Tokyo as the Japanese capital, many laws have defined a "capital area" that incorporates Tokyo. Article 2 of the Capital Area Consolidation Law of 1956 states: "In this Act, the term 'capital area' shall denote a broad region comprising both the territory of the Tokyo Metropolis as well as outlying regions designated by cabinet order." This clearly implies that the government has designated Tokyo as the capital of Japan, although it is not explicitly stated, and the definition of the "capital area" is purposely restricted to the terms of that specific law.
Other laws referring to this "capital area" include the Capital Expressway Public Corporation Law and the Capital Area Greenbelt Preservation Law.
This term for capital was never used to refer to Kyoto. Indeed, shuto came into use during the 1860s as a gloss of the English term "capital".
The Ministry of Education published a book called "History of the Restoration" in 1941. This book referred to "designating Tokyo as capital" without talking about "relocating the capital to Tokyo". A contemporary history textbook states that the Meiji government "moved the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo" without using the sento term.
As of 2007, there is a movement to transfer the government functions of the capital from Tokyo while retaining Tokyo as the de facto capital, with the Gifu-Aichi region, the Mie-Kio region and other regions submitting bids for a de jure capital. Officially, the relocation is referred to as "capital functions relocation" instead of "capital relocation", or as "relocation of the Diet and other organizations".
In 2017, the Government of Japan decided to move the Agency for Cultural Affairs to Kyoto.

List of capitals

Legendary

This list of legendary capitals of Japan begins with the reign of Emperor Jimmu. The names of the Imperial palaces are in parentheses:
  1. Kashihara, Yamato at the foot of Mount Unebi during reign of Emperor Jimmu
  2. Kazuraki, Yamato during reign of Emperor Suizei
  3. Katashiha, Kawachi during the reign of Emperor Annei
  4. Karu, Yamato during reign of Emperor Itoku.
  5. Waki-no-kami, Yamato during the reign of Emperor Kōshō
  6. Muro, Yamato during reign of Emperor Kōan
  7. Kuruda, Yamato during the reign of Emperor Kōrei
  8. Karu, Yamato during reign of Emperor Kōgen
  9. Izakaha, Yamato during reign of Emperor Kaika
  10. Shika, Yamato during reign of Emperor Sujin
  11. Shika, Yamato during reign of Emperor Suinin
  12. Makimuko, Yamato during reign of Emperor Keikō
  13. Shiga, Ōmi during reign of Emperor Seimu
  14. Ando, Nara and Kashiki on the island of Kyushu during reign of Emperor Chūai

    Historical

This list of capitals includes the Imperial palaces names in parentheses.
Kofun period

Asuka period
Nara period
Heian period
Medieval Japan and Early modern period
Modern Japan