Naniwa-kyo

Since the construction of Naniwa Nagara Toyosaki Palace in December 645 (the first year of the Taika era) when the capital was moved to Naniwa, the capital city continued to exist in Naniwa for about 150 years, passing through Naniwa Palace in the Nara period until it was abolished at the end of the 8th century. The ancient Naniwa area, which was centered on the Uemachi plateau in Osaka City, is recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon shoki as having had palaces such as Emperor Ojin's Osumi Palace, Emperor Nintoku's Takatsu Palace, and Emperor Kinmei's Shukutsu Palace. In addition, numerous articles and songs about Naniwa Palace remain in the Nihon Shoki, Shoku Nihongi, Manyoshu, and Shosoin documents. The location of Naniwa Palace has been debated since the Edo period, with two theories: the Kamimachi theory places it at the northern end of the Kamimachi Plateau, and the Shitamachi theory places it in the area of ​​present-day Kita Ward, Osaka City. The discovery of a fragment of a shibi (roof ornament) in Hoenzaka-cho, Chuo Ward in 1953 (Showa 28) was the direct trigger for excavation work led by Yamane Tokutarou to begin the following year. As a result of excavation work carried out over the course of more than 30 years, the remains of a palace divided into two periods, an early and a late period, were unearthed in the area of ​​Baba-cho and Hoenzaka 1-chome, Chuo Ward, south of Osaka Castle, and it was revealed that Naniwa Palace had been built consistently on the Kamimachi Plateau from Naniwa Nagara Toyosaki Palace during the reign of Emperor Kotoku to Naniwa Palace during the reign of Emperor Shomu.

The Early Naniwa Palace was built by partially renovating and reusing Naniwa Nagara Toyosaki Palace, which was completed in 652 (Hakuchi 3) during the reign of Emperor Kōtoku and continued to exist until the reign of Emperor Tenmu, and there are still traces of a fire indicating that it burned down in January of 686 (Shuchō 1). The scale and structure of the Early Naniwa Palace well show its characteristics as the prototype of Japanese palaces after the Fujiwara Palace, with the Imperial Palace to the north and the Chodōin to the south. The Late Naniwa Palace corresponds to the Nara period Naniwa Palace, which was completed around 734 (Tenpyō 6) and began construction in 726 (Jinki 3) when Fujiwara Umakai, Minister of Ceremonies and Junior Third Rank, was appointed as the chief builder of Naniwa Palace. The existence of Late Naniwa-kyo is presumed from land allocation records from 734, but opinions are divided as to whether Early Naniwa-kyo existed based on the same grid system as Fujiwara-kyo. Attempts to restore Naniwa-kyo have been made based on clues such as the remnants of an ancient road corresponding to Suzaku-oji that can be found along the central axis of the Early and Late Naniwa-kyo, and the existence of a grid of land with sides of approximately 265 meters, the same as Fujiwara-kyo, remaining near Shitennoji Temple. Approximately 89,000 square meters of the Naniwa-kyo ruins, centered around the remains of the Imperial Palace and Chodo-in, have been designated a national historic site, and development is underway to create the Naniwa-kyo Historic Site Park.

[Yoshiharu Nakao]

"Naniwa Palace" by Yamane Tokutarou (1964, Gakuseisha)" ▽ "Exploring Ancient Japanese Culture: Capitals" edited by Ueda Masaaki (1976, Shakaishisosha)" ▽ "Naniwa-kyo and Ancient Osaka" edited by Naoki Kojiro (1985, Gakuseisha)" ▽ "Naniwa-kyo" by Nakao Yoshiharu (Archaeology Library 46, 1986, New Science)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

645年（大化1）12月の難波遷都に伴って難波長柄豊碕宮(ながらとよさきのみや)が造営されて以来、奈良時代の難波宮を経て8世紀末に廃絶するまで約150年間難波に存続した都城。大阪市の上町(うえまち)台地を中心とする古代の難波の地には古くは応神(おうじん)天皇の大隅宮(おおすみのみや)、仁徳(にんとく)天皇の高津宮(たかつのみや)、欽明(きんめい)天皇の祝津宮(はふりつのみや)などの宮室が設けられたことが『記紀』に記されている。また『日本書紀』『続日本紀(しょくにほんぎ)』『万葉集』『正倉院文書』には難波宮に関する数多くの記事や歌が残されている。難波宮の所在地については、上町台地北端部に求める上町説と、現在の大阪市北区辺とする下町説があって、江戸時代以来論争が続いた。1953年（昭和28）中央区法円坂町より鴟尾(しび)の破片が出土したことが直接のきっかけとなって、翌年より山根徳太郎を中心とする発掘調査が開始された。以来30年余にわたる発掘調査の結果、大阪城南の中央区馬場町・法円坂一丁目一帯の地に、前期・後期に二大別される宮殿遺跡が発掘され、孝徳(こうとく)朝の難波長柄豊碕宮以来聖武(しょうむ)朝の難波宮に至るまで、一貫して難波宮が上町台地上に営まれたことが明らかにされた。

　前期難波宮は、652年（白雉3）完成した孝徳朝の難波長柄豊碕宮が天武(てんむ)朝まで存続していたのを利用して、それを一部改修して再用した難波宮で、686年（朱鳥1）正月全焼したことを示す火災痕跡(こんせき)をとどめている。前期難波宮の規模と構造は、北に内裏(だいり)、南に朝堂院を置く藤原宮以降のわが国宮室の原型としての特色をよく示している。後期難波宮は、726年（神亀3）より式部卿従三位(しきぶきょうじゅさんみ)藤原宇合(うまかい)を知造難波宮事に任じて造営に着手し、734年（天平6）ごろ完成した奈良時代の難波宮にあたる。後期難波京の存在については734年の宅地班給記事などから推定されているが、前期難波宮に藤原京と同様の条坊制に基づく京が存在したかどうかについては意見が分かれている。前期、後期難波宮の中軸線上に朱雀大路(すざくおおじ)に相当する古道痕跡(こんせき)が認められることや、四天王寺(してんのうじ)近辺に藤原京と同じ一辺約265メートルの方格地割が残っていることなどを手掛りに、難波京の復原が試みられている。難波宮跡は内裏・朝堂院跡を中心に約8万9000平方メートルが国の史跡に指定され、難波宮史跡公園として環境整備が進められている。

［中尾芳治］

『山根徳太郎著『難波の宮』（1964・学生社）』▽『上田正昭編『日本古代文化の探究　都城』（1976・社会思想社）』▽『直木孝次郎編『難波京と古代の大阪』（1985・学生社）』▽『中尾芳治著『難波京』（『考古学ライブラリー46』1986・ニュー・サイエンス社）』

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