Professor Lecture Series "The First Urban Planning in Japan - Fujiwara-kyo and the Straight Roads in Cardinal Directions -"

Inagi IC College

Professor Lecture Series "The First Urban Planning in Japan: Fujiwara-kyo and the Straight Roads in Cardinal Directions"

　In the Nara Basin, the existence of straight roads aligned with the cardinal directions, such as Yokooji, Nakatsudo, and Shimotsudo, is known. The first rectangular grid layout in Japan, Fujiwara-kyō, and the subsequent Heijō-kyō were established. We will search for traces of these roads on the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan map, clarify their actual conditions, and consider surveying methods. We will also examine the geographical conditions that led to the abandonment of Fujiwara-kyō after 16 years.

Event Date

April 26, 2025 (Saturday), May 24, 2025 (Saturday), June 28, 2025 (Saturday), July 26, 2025 (Saturday), August 23, 2025 (Saturday), September 27, 2025 (Saturday)

Event Time

From 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Venue

Community Promotion Plaza (Only at Central Cultural Center on July 26)

Eligibility

Anyone

Contents

Content of Each Session

1st	April 26	The reason why we say east and west, but not north and south Before the heliocentric theory was introduced in China, the movements of constellations, the sun, and the moon were precisely understood, leading to the creation of the lunar-solar calendar and the conduct of astronomical measurements.
2nd	May 24	Orthogonal Straight Roads in the Asuka Period in the Nara Basin Let's explore the traces of ancient roads such as the Yokooji, Nakatsudo, and Shimotsudo, which were constructed over 1400 years ago, using the Geographic Information System map on the web and read their locations.
3rd	June 28	Slightly Misaligned Square Orientation Mountain Straight Road If you can see the mountain peak beyond the straight road, it indicates that it is a "mountain-target road" constructed with that as a goal. The Yokooji and Nakatsudo roads are good examples of this.
4th	July 26	Fujiwara-kyō between Nakatsu Road and Shimozu Road Fujiwara-kyo, which has the first rectangular block in Japan, was constructed by Emperor Tenmu and his empress, Empress Jito, with Nakatsudo as Higashi Nibō Ōji and Yoko Ōji as Sanjō Ōji.
5th	August 23	The reason why Fujiwara Palace is located in the center rather than the north of the capital area In the imperial palace, the summer solstice sun rises from the sacred Mount Miwa. On the winter solstice, the sun rises from Mount Kagu and sets behind Mount Unebi. This location is oriented with the sun's path in mind.
6th	September 27	Fujiwara-kyo was abandoned in 16 years, and the capital was moved to Heijo-kyo, the reason for this Fujiwara Palace is located at the end of a fan-shaped land that slopes to the north, adjacent to a marsh where the city's sewage flows in. This is compared to the geographical location conditions of Heijokyo and the Sui-Tang Chang'an city..

Each class is 90 minutes long.

Application

Necessary

Please apply from the Inagi IC College website or call the office.

Application Deadline

August 31, 2025 (Sunday)

Cost

6,000 yen (However, if you join partway, it will be 1,000 yen per session for the number of sessions attended)

Number of recruits

50 people

Eligibility

Anyone

Instructor

Michiaki Nogami, Emeritus Professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University

Contact Us

Inagi IC College Office

Phone 042-370-2822

Business hours: Tuesday to Friday (excluding holidays), from 10 AM to 4 PM

 

Application Destination

• Inagi IC College Website(External Link)