Looking forward to the 1200th establishment anniversary of Heiankyo, final and the longest survived crown city of ancient Japan, in 1994 (the 6th year of Heisei), Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with municipal government of the prefecture and the city of Kyoto, has organized The Memorial Foundation for her celebration. Various programs are now proposed or carried into practice through this Foundation which combines civil and official supports.
The grand design for these projects sprouted up from the soil which The 1100th Anniversary Memorial Enterprises has brought forth, taking the experiences just 100 years ago as a guide line to be cleared. Present projects have fresh leading idea that recognizes the coming 100 years as century for the confirmation of human rights, and that has been induced from global perspective over current history of the mankind. A great number of studies in history and related fields collected to serve the compilation of communal history of the city of Kyoto may effectively support the charming events based upon that idea.
Considering these situations and fundamental subjects of The Memorial Project, attention to the basic characteristics of Kyoto's cultural tradition will have to be focused on its thick and fine accumulation of historical facts full of diversity, and on wide and far reaching internationality that cherished in the numerous layers of times that the city has inherited.
(1) Accumulation of historical facts;
Judging from the general view over the maturing process of Kyoto's cultural tradition, it may properly be insisted to notice five basic factors, each of which had had its own climax in a certain age from prehistoric until early modern respectively.
A) Alien culture transplanted by immigrants from Asian Continent (Torai jin), especially their technology.
B) Noblemen's culture which came in full blossom in Imperial Court of Heiankyo.
C) Religious culture created by and conveyed through sacred environment (Jisha Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine).
D) Townsmen's (Machi shu's) culture supported mainly by economic vitality of enterprising merchants and manufacturers.
E) Highly sophisticated culture based upon elaborate system of instruction through which solid value system had developped and preserved.
(2) Internationality;
Cultural tradition of Kyoto obtained its internationality within limited extent of world view, consisting of only three states namely Nippon, Shintan (China) and Tenjiku (India), in ancient and medieval days. But, when the contact with European began around the end of medieval times, the perspective expanded to a new field, Nanban: Islamic and Christian world) as it was named. At the dawn of modern times, arrival of Kurofune, the iron ocean steamer from New World added another component to its internationality and resulted in the opening of the country to foreign intercourses.
These backgrounds conducted the history to inscribe the evidences of internationality in Kyoto's cultural tradition such as follows.
A) Square and grid patterned plan of ancient crown city with her Imperial Court and guest house for diplomatic troops from abroad, Korokan.
B) Cultural properties bearing witnesses to dispatch and receipt of information to/from alien countries in the earlier times.
C) Positive attitude of citizens to exotic culture to keep the initiative against other domestic regions as proved through Kyoto's modernization process.
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