The surroundings of the Kyoto Gosho, once lively with residence of court nobles, began devastating after the capital-transfer in 1869 to Tokyo. The Japanese government framed a plan, in 1877, to buy the land of residence area and to remove houses thereon, thereby converting the area to a fire-zone for the Gosho. Actual operation for the construction was ordered to the Kyoto prefectural government.
The project covered, in addition to the buying the land and removal of the houses, building earthen walls, gates and roads, and planting trees. The Kyoto prefectural government completed the project in 1880, and thus the prototype of the Kyoto Gyoen Garden was established. The total expence for the project was 45, 000 yen.
The present prosperity of the Kyoto Gosho is apparently based in part on the Garden-establishment project of 10 decades ago. Therefore, the Gardenestablishment project should be highly appraised.
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