Kyoto Basin

A basin occupying the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture. It is also called the Yamashiro Basin. It is an extension of the Seto Inland Sea depression, and is a rift basin that was formed along the axis of uplift that runs north to south through the center of the Kinki region. It is oval-shaped, measuring about 30 km north to south and 10 km east to west. The northern to northwestern parts are surrounded by the Tamba Highlands, the northern part of Kyoto City is called the Kitayama Mountains, and the western part is called the Nishiyama Mountains. The eastern part is the Hiei Mountains, a landform mountain range with Shimei-dake (839 meters) as its main peak, whose western foot is bounded by the Hanaore Fault that continues from the Hira Mountains, and the southern part is connected to the Higashiyama Hills. The southern part of the basin is bordered by the Kannabi Hills to the west with the Osaka Plain, and the southern part is bordered by the Narasaka Hills with the Nara Basin. Diluvial layers deposited during the lake basin period of the Pleistocene (Pleistocene Epoch) form a diluvial plateau in the surrounding area, but in the center of the basin, the Uji River originating from Lake Biwa flows from east to west, merging with the Kamo River and Katsura River flowing from the north, and the Kizu River flowing from the south, and near the confluence, the ruins of the Ogura Pond (reclaimed) remained until the early Showa period.

The Kyoto Basin, which borders the Nara Basin, was developed early on, with Nagaokakyo and Heiankyo being built from the latter half of the 8th century onwards, and flourished as the royal capital for 1,000 years until the Meiji Restoration. Even today, in addition to Kyoto City, five other cities - Uji, Muko, Nagaokakyo, Joyo and Yawata - are located here, with a population of around 1.8 million. It is a key transportation hub, with the Tokaido Main Line, Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen and Meishin Expressway passing through, and many private railways such as the Hankyu Railway passing through. Industry also developed around Kyoto City, and intensive suburban agriculture is practiced in the southern part of the city.

[Takeo Oda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都府南部を占める盆地。山城盆地(やましろぼんち)ともいう。瀬戸内海陥没地帯の延長にあたり、近畿地方の中央部を南北に走る隆起軸に沿って生じた地溝盆地である。南北約30キロメートル、東西約10キロメートルの小判状をなしている。北部から北西部は丹波(たんば)高地で囲まれ、京都市北部は北山山地、西部は西山山地とよばれる。また東部は比良(ひら)山地から続く花折(はなおれ)断層によって西麓(せいろく)を画された四明(しめい)岳（839メートル）を主峰とする地塁状の比叡(ひえい)山地で、南は東山丘陵に連なる。また盆地南部の西は甘南備(かんなび)丘陵で大阪平野と、南は奈良坂丘陵で奈良盆地と境する。更新世（洪積世）の湖盆時代に堆積(たいせき)した洪積層が周辺に洪積台地を形成しているが、盆地の中央は琵琶(びわ)湖から発する宇治川が東西に流れ、北から流れる鴨(かも)川、桂(かつら)川、南から流れる木津川と合流し、合流点近くには、昭和初期まで遺跡湖の巨椋池（干拓化）が残存していた。

　奈良盆地に接する京都盆地は早くから開発され、ことに8世紀後半から長岡京、平安京が造営され、明治維新まで1000年間王城の地として栄え、現在も京都市のほかに、宇治、向日(むこう)、長岡京、城陽、八幡(やわた)の5市が位置し、人口も約180万人が集中する。交通の要地で、東海道本線、東海道・山陽新幹線、名神高速道路などが通じ、阪急電鉄など私鉄の出入りも多い。京都市周辺では工業も発達し、南部では集約的な近郊農業が営まれる。

［織田武雄］

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