History of Kyoto

Year Historical Events
5th C.- 6th C. AD Powerful clans like Hatas and Kamos settled future site of Kyoto. Especially, the Hata clan, a large family of Korean descent, had advanced skills and knowledge of agriculture, silkworm raising, weaving and flood controlling, and enjoyed great prosperity.
Mid 6th C. Kamo Matsuri festival, present day Aoi Matsuri festival, was inaugurated.
622 Koryu-ji, the oldest temple in Kyoto, was founded by Hata no Kawakatsu.
678 Kamo-jinja shrine was founded by Kamos. Yasaka-no-to pagoda was built.
701 Matsuno'o-taisha shrine was founded by Hata no Imikitori.
711 Fushimi-Inari-taisha shrine was founded by Hata no Iroko, who, a genealogy reads, was a younger brother of Hata no Imikitori.
778 Kiyomizu-dera temple was founded by priest Enchin.
788 Priest Saicho founded Enryaku-ji temple on Mt. Hiei.
794 Japan's capital was transferred to Kyoto, that was called Heian-kyo then.
794-805 Kurama-dera temple was founded.
798 General Sakanoue no Tamuramaro built the original structure of Kiyomizu-dera temple.
800 Original Shinsen-en, an imperial garden, was made.
869 The first Gion-matsuri Festival is said to be held.
874 Daigo-ji trmplre was founded.
876 Daikaku-ji temple was founded.
888 Nin'na-ji (Ninna-ji) temple was founded by Emperor Uda.
905 Ki no Tsurayuki et al. started compilation of Kokin Waka Shu, an anthology of Japanese traditional poems, by an order of Emperor Daigo. The compilation completed a few years later.
951 A five-storied pagoda was built on the premises of Daigo-ji temple. The pagoda is the oldest of existing buildings in Kyoto.
Beginning of 11th C. The world's oldest novel "Genji Monogatari", or The Tale of Genji was written by an authoress Murasaki Shikibu.
1052 Fujiwara no Yorimichi converted his villa into a temple called Byodo-in.
1156 The civil war of Hogen.
1159 The civil war of Heiji.
1180-1185 War between Genji clan and Heike clan.
1185 An exceptionally talented general, Minamoto no Yoshitsune defeated Heike clan at the battle of Dan'noura (Dannoura). Finally, the Heike clan was destroyed and the Genji clan came to power.
1192 The Kamakura Shogunate Government was established by the chief of Genji clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo, who annihilated his younger brother Yoshitsune and his men.
1202 Ken'nin-ji (Kennin-ji) temple was founded by priest Eisai.
1205 Shin Kokin Waka Shu, an anthology of traditional Japanese poetry, was compiled by Fujiwara no Teika et al. by an order of the ex-Emperor Gotoba.
1206 Priest Myoe revived and rebuilt Kozan-ji temple by an order of the ex-Emperor Gotoba.
1234 Chion-in temple was founded.
1243 Tofuku-ji temple was founded.
1272 Hongan-ji was founded.
1333 The Kamakura Shogunate fell.
1336 The Imperial Household was divided into Northern and Southern Dynasties.
1338 The Muromachi Shogunate Government was established in Kyoto by Ashikaga Takauji.
1339 The first Muromachi shogun Ashikaga Takauji founded Tenryu-ji, a Zen temple, to pray for the late Emperor Godaigo, who had been his enemy.
1339 Zen Master Muso Soseki restored Saiho-ji, which is known as the moss temple.
1392 The Northern and Southern Dynasties were unified.
1397 The third Muromachi shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu constructed his villa, Kitayama-dono, that was later converted into Rokuon-ji temple, commonly known as Kinkaku-ji with the Golden Pavilion.
1450 Ryoan-ji temple was founded by Hosokawa Katsumoto.
1467 The civil war of Onin broke out. The war continued until 1477 and many buildings and other historic treasures were burnt down during the war.
1482 The eighth Muromachi shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built a villa in Higashiyama, which, later, was converted into Jisho-ji temple, commonly known as Ginkaku-ji with the Silver Pavilion.
1573 The Muromachi Shogunate fell.
1591 Hongan-ji, or Nishi-Hongan-ji temple was relocated to the present site.
1594 Fushimi Castle was built by an order of the sovereign ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
1598 Toyotomi Hideyoshi held a great flower viewing party in Daigo-ji temple.
1600 The Battle of Sekigahara, the biggest civil war battle in Japanese history.
1602 Higashi Hongan-ji temple was founded.
1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu, who won the battle of Sekigahara, was appointed shogun and founded the Tokugawa Shogunate Government in Edo (present day Tokyo).
1603 Nijo-jo castle was built by an order of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
1620 The construction of an imperial villa, Katsura-rikyu, commenced.
1644 The third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu donated a five-storied pagoda to Kyo-o-gokoku-ji (To-ji) temple.
1659 Shugakuin Imperial Villa was built. Manpuku-ji temple was founded.
1867 The fifteenth Tokugawa shogun Yoshinobu returned the administrative power to the emperor.
1868 Kyoto Prefectural Government was established.
1869 The emperor moved to Tokyo, the new capital of Japan.
1877 Kyoto Station was constructed. Train service began between Kyoto and Kobe.
1889 Kyoto City Government was founded.
1890 The Biwako canal was completed between Lake Biwa and Kyoto.
1891 Hydroelectric power generation began, using the Biwako canal's water.
1895 Heian-Jingu Shrine was founded and the first Jidai-matsuri festival was held. Both of them was to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Heian-kyo (Kyoto) capital. Kyoto City began a tram service.
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