history

History

Encompassing four major metropolitan areas, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Kobe, the Kinki Region was the vital center of Japan for over a millennium, until 1868, when the capital of the nation and the Imperial Palace were moved to Edo (presently Tokyo). Nara was the capital city for decades, and as such it was the cultural cradle for much of the civilization of Japan. At later dates, the capital was moved, first to Otsu, near Kyoto, and then again to Naniwa in Osaka, and eventually to Kyoto. The Kinki Region became firmly established as the focal point of Japanese politics and the center of the national economy and culture in this era.With its long history as the hub of Japanese history and culture, the Kinki region holds the key to an understanding of Japan. History does indeed repeat itself, for as it was in the past, the Kinki region is showing strong signs of assuming an increasingly vital role in the future of the country, as reflected in a host of major development projects within the region, highlighted by the opening of the Kansai International Airport in September of 1994. Located in the center of the Kinki Region just north of the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, Shiga Prefecture is home to the biggest inland body of water in Japan, Lake Biwa. Development projects have sprung up all along the shores of the lake, but the prefectural government has provided a good example in the great care it has taken to preserve the tremendous beauty and natural environment of the land under its jurisdiction. Boasting a spectacular shoreline, and due to its proximity to the Kansai International Airport, Wakayama Prefecture has drawn a great deal of interest for its potential for the development of further resort areas. Thus, the Kinki Region is, at once, a living symbol of the ancient history of Japan and an active gateway to the future, an area offering insights into the richness and vitality of the natural environment, traditions, and technology of Japan.