Capitals of Japan: The 8 Cities That Have Held the Title (Past & Present)

At a glance: Japan’s capitals through history

Tokyo: Japan’s modern capital (1869-present)

Tokyo became Japan’s capital in 1869 — though there’s a fascinating quirk in how it happened. When the Meiji Restoration ended the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, Emperor Meiji moved from Kyoto to Edo (renamed Tokyo, “Eastern Capital”) to consolidate imperial authority. Japan never formally enacted a law transferring the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo; the move happened by imperial decree and physical relocation rather than legal transfer.

This is why some Kyoto residents still half-jokingly insist Kyoto is the rightful capital. The Imperial Palace in Kyoto (Kyoto Gosho) was the official seat until the move; the current Tokyo Imperial Palace was originally Edo Castle. In legal terms the capital was simply “where the Emperor is” rather than a constitutionally-fixed city.

Modern Tokyo is the world’s most populous metropolitan area (~38 million people in Greater Tokyo) and the seat of the National Diet, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court and most ministries. Tokyo Prefecture (Tokyo-to) is the country’s only “metropolitan prefecture” status — a constitutional category created specifically for the capital.

For visiting modern Tokyo: Lonely Planet Tokyo covers the city’s neighbourhoods comprehensively. Our Kabukicho nightlife guide goes deeper on Tokyo’s most famous entertainment district.

Kyoto (Heian-kyō): the 1,000-year capital (794-1869)

Kyoto’s tenure as Japan’s capital — over 1,000 years — is unmatched by any city in any country. Founded in 794 by Emperor Kanmu as Heian-kyō (“Capital of Peace and Tranquility”), it was modelled on the Chinese Tang-dynasty capital of Chang’an, with a strict grid layout still visible in the modern street pattern.

What Kyoto preserved that Tokyo lost:

• Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) — the formal imperial residence until 1869; now a public site with daily tours.
• 1,600+ Buddhist temples and 400+ Shinto shrines — Tokyo lost most of its historic religious architecture in WWII firebombing; Kyoto was deliberately spared.
• The classical Japanese aesthetic — gardens (Ryoan-ji, Saiho-ji), tea ceremony, kaiseki cuisine, geisha tradition (Gion district) all centred here.
• UNESCO sites — 17 Kyoto monuments are collectively UNESCO-listed as “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto”.

For Kyoto trip planning: Lonely Planet Kyoto is the standard. Old Kyoto by Diane Durston is the classic guide to the city’s traditional shops and inns.

Nara (Heijō-kyō): Japan’s first permanent capital (710-784)

Before Heian-kyō, Japan’s first permanent capital was Heijō-kyō — modern Nara — established in 710 by Empress Genmei. The 74-year Nara period is one of the most culturally significant in Japanese history. It saw the introduction of Buddhism as a state religion, the construction of Tōdai-ji (housing the 15-metre Great Buddha), and the compilation of Japan’s earliest written texts (Kojiki, 712; Nihon Shoki, 720).

The capital moved away from Nara in 784 (briefly to Nagaoka-kyō, then to Heian-kyō/Kyoto in 794) primarily because Buddhist temples in Nara had grown so politically powerful that emperors found their interference intolerable. Moving the capital was a way to reduce temple influence on the throne.

What to see in modern Nara:

• Tōdai-ji — the world’s largest wooden building, housing the bronze Great Buddha (Daibutsu) cast in 752.
• Kasuga Taisha — Shinto shrine famous for its 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns.
• Nara Park — home to ~1,200 wild deer, considered messengers of the gods in Shinto belief.
• Nara National Museum — rotating Buddhist sculpture exhibitions; the autumn Shōsō-in exhibition shows treasures from the imperial repository.

Asuka: Japan’s earliest “capital” (538-694)

Asuka was Japan’s seat of power before the formal capital concept existed. The Asuka period (538-710) is when the Yamato court — the proto-Japanese state — formalised its institutions, adopted Buddhism (552 CE), and began producing Japan’s first written records.

The Asuka “capital” was actually a series of imperial palaces in the Asuka basin south of modern Nara. Each emperor often built a new palace at accession. Notable sites:

• Asuka-dera — Japan’s first proper Buddhist temple (596 CE), still active.
• Hōryū-ji (just north of Asuka) — the world’s oldest surviving wooden buildings (607 CE), UNESCO-listed.
• Asuka-kyō Imperial Palace site — archaeological park with foundations of the 7th-century palace.
• Stone tools and tombs — the Asuka basin is dotted with tumulus tombs (kofun) of the Yamato rulers.

Naniwa, Ōtsu, Fujiwara-kyō, Nagaoka-kyō: the brief capitals

• Naniwa (Osaka) — capital briefly under Emperor Kōtoku (645-655) and again under Emperor Shōmu (744-745). Modern Osaka still hosts the Naniwa-no-Miya Palace ruins. Osaka was selected for proximity to maritime trade with the Korean peninsula.
• Ōtsu (Shiga) — Emperor Tenji moved the capital here from Asuka in 667. The court returned to Asuka after his death in 672 (Jinshin War). Today Ōtsu is a small Lake Biwa city; visitors come for Ishiyama-dera and the lake.
• Fujiwara-kyō — modern Kashihara, Nara Prefecture. The first Japanese capital built in the Chinese grid style, occupied 694-710 before the move to Heijō-kyō.
• Nagaoka-kyō — modern Nagaokakyō City, Kyoto Prefecture. The 10-year intermediate capital between Heijō-kyō and Heian-kyō, abandoned after the suspicious death of Emperor Kanmu’s brother gave it a haunted reputation.

Why did Japan’s capital move so much?

Three patterns explain Japan’s mobile capital tradition:

• Buddhist temple politics. Temples accumulated land and political influence around any long-term capital. Moving away (Nara → Nagaoka → Kyoto) was a way to reset that influence.
• Death pollution. Pre-Heian Shinto belief held that the death of an emperor created spiritual pollution at the palace. Many emperors built new palaces (and effectively new capitals) at accession.
• Geopolitical reorientation. Naniwa was chosen for trade with Korea; Ōtsu for the strategic Lake Biwa position; eventually Heian-kyō for its defensible basin and water access.

The 1,000-year stability of Heian-kyō (Kyoto) was the exception, not the rule. Once the imperial court settled there in 794, the practical and symbolic disruption of moving became too high.

How to visit Japan’s former capitals today

The classical Japan trip combines Tokyo (modern), Kyoto (1,000-year capital), and Nara (first permanent capital) — easily done in a 10-day itinerary using the JR shinkansen network.

• Tokyo (3-4 days): Imperial Palace east gardens, Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Tsukiji.
• Tokyo to Kyoto: 2h15 on the Tokaido Shinkansen.
• Kyoto (3-4 days): Imperial Palace, Kinkaku-ji, Fushimi Inari, Gion, Arashiyama bamboo grove.
• Kyoto to Nara: 45 min on the JR Nara line.
• Nara (1-2 days): Tōdai-ji, Kasuga Taisha, Nara National Museum.
• Nara to Asuka: 1h on the Kintetsu line — full day for Hōryū-ji and the Asuka basin if interested in deeper history.

For the trip itself: Lonely Planet Japan remains the standard. Our best Japanese phrase books guide covers what to take for language. Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook & Dictionary is the pocket reference for visiting historical sites where signage is often Japanese-only.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current capital of Japan?

Tokyo has been Japan’s capital since 1869, when Emperor Meiji moved from Kyoto to Edo (renamed Tokyo, ‘Eastern Capital’) after the Meiji Restoration. Tokyo is the seat of the National Diet, Cabinet, Supreme Court and Imperial Palace.

How many capitals has Japan had?

Japan has had at least 8 cities serve as capital across 1,400 years: Asuka, Naniwa (Osaka), Ōtsu, Fujiwara-kyō, Heijō-kyō (Nara), Nagaoka-kyō, Heian-kyō (Kyoto), and Edo/Tokyo. Counting earlier rotating Yamato palaces, there were many more.

Was Kyoto the capital of Japan?

Yes — Kyoto (then called Heian-kyō) served as Japan’s capital from 794 to 1869, over 1,000 years. It is the longest-serving capital in Japanese history and still hosts the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the formal imperial residence until the Tokyo move.

Why did Japan move the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo?

Emperor Meiji moved to Tokyo in 1869 to consolidate imperial authority after the Meiji Restoration ended the Tokugawa shogunate. The shogunate had ruled from Edo (Tokyo) for 250+ years, and the move physically united imperial and administrative power. Notably, Japan never passed a law formally transferring the capital — the move happened by imperial decree.

What was Japan’s first capital?

Japan’s first permanent, planned capital was Heijō-kyō — modern Nara — established in 710. Before that, the Yamato court used a rotating series of palaces in the Asuka basin (538-710), considered Japan’s first ‘capital’ though without the Chinese-style fixed-grid layout.

Is Kyoto still considered a capital of Japan?

Legally no — Tokyo is Japan’s capital. But Japan never formally enacted a law transferring the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1869. Some Kyoto residents still maintain that Kyoto is the rightful imperial capital. The Kyoto Imperial Palace remains an official imperial site to this day.

See also

• Best Japanese phrase books for travellers
• Kabukicho Tokyo nightlife guide
• Legal drinking age in Japan
• Kansai travel guide: Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe
• The world of Makanai in Japan