Town names in Yamashina Ward, Kyoto City (京都市山科区の町名)
This section on "Town Names in Yamashina Ward, Kyoto City", lists official "Town Names" in Yamashina Ward and summarizes the period and process of their establishment.
Summary of Yamashina Ward
Yamashina Ward is located on the east side of Higashiyama Ward (Kyoto Prefecture), on the prefecture's border with Shiga. Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, is located in the east, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, is in the north, west, and south, Higashiyama Ward is in the west, and Fushimi Ward is in the south. It covers an area of 28.78 square kilometers. Its population projection is about 136,000 as of March 2009. It was once part of Higashiyama Ward, but split off from the ward in 1976.
It is a basin surrounded by mountains including Mt. Nyoigadake, Mt. Otowa, Mt. Daigo, and Mt. Higashi. With the ancient Tokai-do Road running in the northern part of Yamashina Ward as well as the Nara-kaido Road leading to Nara City, the ward has been a major traffic center since olden times. At present, there are the JR Tokaido Main Line, Tokaido, and Sanyo Shinkansen (bullet train) line, National Route 1, and the Meishin Expressway in the ward. There are few sightseeing spots in the ward except for: the Imperial Tomb of Emperor Tenji, the Bishamon-do Monzeki (monzeki is the temple formerly led by founder of sect, temple in which resided a member of nobility or imperial family), the Ansho-ji Temple (Kyoto City) and the Honkoku-ji Temple (the grand head temple of the Nichiren sect) in the northern area; and the Kaju-ji Temple and the Zuishin-in Temple, which are the head temples of the Shingon sect, in the southern area.
When the Municipal Government Act became effective in 1889, this area was named Yamashina-mura village, Uji County. This village gained town status to become Yamashinacho Town in 1926, and was integrated into Higashiyama Ward five years later, in 1931. After that, as mentioned above, it split off from Higashiyama Ward in 1976 to form Yamashina Ward.
Number of Town Names
The Town Names of Kyoto City are categorized into those using their former village names or former Oaza (large section of village) such as 'Ohara Raikoin-Cho' (in this case, 'Ohara' is former name) and those using an independent name of a town such as 'Kameya-Cho' and 'Kikuya-Cho'. The town names in Yamashina Ward all include the former Oaza.
According to the second volume of "Kadokawa Nihon Chimei Daijiten No. 26 Kyoto-Fu" (Kadokawa dictionary of place-names of Japan, No.26 Kyoto Prefecture), there were officially 302 declared towns in 1980. After that, although the borders of some towns were changed and some new towns were created in accordance with the land readjustment project, the above-mentioned 302 towns still exist in 2009. Since three towns were newly created in 1984 and one town was created in 1994, there are three-hundred and six towns in 2009.
History
The history since the enforcement of the Municipal Government Act in 1889 until the establishment of Yamashina Ward is mentioned above. In Yamashina-cho Town, Uji County: there were twenty-three Oaza (Anshu, Ueno, Otsuka, Oyake, Otowa, Ono, Kami-kazan, Kawata, Kanshuji, Kita-kazan, Kurisuno, Koyama, Shinomiya, Zushioku, Takehana, Nagitsuji, Nishino, Nishinoyama, Hachiken, Higashino, Higechaya, Hino-oka, and Misasagi) which were reorganized into three-hundred and one towns in 1931 when Yamashina-cho Town was integrated into Higashiyama Ward. For these town names, the former Oaza had been used after the name of 'Yamashina,' such as 'Yamashina Anshu Inuyama-Cho, Higashiyamaku Ward,' but the name of 'Yamashina' was not used after the separation of Yamashinaku Ward in 1976.
(1889-1926) Aza Inariyama, Oaza Anshu, Yamashinamura village, Uji County ('Aza' is a section of village). (1926-1931) Aza Inariyama, Oaza Anshu, Yamashinacho Town, Uji County. (1931-1976) Yamashina Anshu Inariyama-cho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City.
(After 1976) Anshu Inariyama-cho, Yamashinaku Ward, Kyoto City
There are some towns that have no letter of '町' (read as 'cho', meaning town) on the end such as 'Anshu Higashidani' and 'Otsuka Oiwa.'
These are the towns in the mountain areas where no one was living when Yamashinacho Town was established in 1931.
The first line of Japanese syllabary
Town that includes the name 'Anshu' is the former Oaza Anshu, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into seventeen towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Town that includes the name 'Ueno' is the former Oaza Ueno, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into four towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. These four towns are separated into three areas around JR Yamashina station.
Town that includes the name 'Otsuka' is the former Oaza Otsuka, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into thirteen towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Town that includes the name 'Oyake' is the former Oaza Oyake, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into twenty-five towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. In 1994 town borders were changed in accordance with the land readjustment project, and the names of Oyake Kanno, Sawa, Ishigori, Hosoda, Sekisho and Wasenouchi were changed into Oyake Kanno-cho, Sawa-cho, Ishigori-cho, Hosoda-cho, Sekisho-cho and Wasenouchi-cho, respectively.
Town that includes the name 'Otowa' is the former Oaza Otowa, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into nineteen towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. Otowa Hirabayashi-cho is a detached town east of the district. Otowa Minamitani town' is supposed to be a place in the mountains; however, it can not be seen on a map.
Town that includes the name 'Ono' is the former Oaza Ono, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into the ten towns when it was integrated into the Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. In 1994 the name of Ono Kagase was changed to Ono Kagase-cho in accordance with the land readjustment project.
The second line of Japanese syllabary
Town that includes the name of 'Kami-kazan' is the former Oaza Kami-kazan, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into the six towns when it was integrated into the Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Town that includes the name of 'Kawata' is the former Oaza Kawata, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into fifteen towns when it was integrated into the Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. In 1969, 'Kawata Kiyomizuyaki Danchi-Cho' was newly created; therefore, there are sixteen towns in the Kawata district today. Among them, 'Kawata Kakenoue' town consists of some detached places and not a unified town. Kawata Umegadani-Cho was partly left in Higashiyamaku Ward when Yamashinaku Ward separated in 1976, as Umegadani-Cho, Imagumano, Higashiyamaku Ward.
Town that includes the name 'Kanshuji' is the former Oaza Kanshuji, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into the twenty-eight towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. In 1994 'Kanshuji Higashidoden-Cho' was newly created in accordance with the land readjustment project; therefore, there are twenty-nine towns in the Kanshuji district today. At this time, the names of Kanshuji Hirata, Setogawara, Sengyoku and Higashikanagasaki were also changed into Kanshuji Hirata-cho, Setogawara-cho, Sengyoku-cho and Higashikanagasaki-cho, respectively.
The official name of the temple in this district is 'Kaju-ji Temple' but the district name is 'Kanshuji.'
Town that includes the name 'Kita-kazan' is the former Oaza Kita-kazan, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into the twelve towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Town that includes the name 'Kurisuno' is the former Oaza Kurisuno, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into the four towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Town that includes the name 'Koyama' is the former Oaza Koyama, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into the twenty towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
The third and fourth lines of Japanese syllabary
Town that includes the name 'Shinomiya' is the former Oaza Shinomiya, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into nineteen towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Town that includes the name 'Zushioku' is the former Oaza Zushioku, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into the six towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. These six towns are located in three places in the ward, and Zushioku Nagamichi and Zushioku Kacho-cho are detached towns.
Town that includes the name 'Takehana' is the former Oaza Takehana, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into the thirteen towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. Three towns among thirteen are detached towns in the eastern mountain areas.
The fifth and sixth lines of Japanese syllabary
Town that includes the name 'Nagitsuji' is the former Oaza Nagitsuji, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into eleven towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. Nagitsuji Higashiyama town is not seen on the map, but it, as well as 'Nishino Higashiyama' and 'Higashino Higashiyama,' are possibly located in the mountain area, at the south-east end of the ward.
Town that includes the name 'Nishino' is the former Oaza Nishino, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into seventeen towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. Nishino Higashiyama' town is a detached town in the mountain area, at the south-east end of the ward.
Town that includes the name 'Nishinoyama' is the former Oaza Nishinoyama, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into ten towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
The seventh and eighth lines of Japanese syllabary
The area of 'Hachikenyashiki-cho' had been 'Hachikencho Town' until 1889, and was reorganized into Oaza Hachiken, Yamashinamura village (later Yamashinacho Town) in accordance with the enforcement of the Municipal Government Act in the same year. There was only one Aza named 'Yashiki' in Oaza Hachiken, which became Yamashina Hachiken Yashiki-cho when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Town that includes the name 'Higashino' is the former Oaza Higashino, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into eleven towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. In 1984 a part of Higashino Inoue-cho was reorganized into Higashino Kita-inoue-cho, Naka-inoue-cho and Minami-inoue-cho; therefore, there are now fourteen towns in the district. The 'Higashino Higashiyama' town is a detached town in the mountain area south-east of the ward.
The area which includes the name 'Higechaya' had been 'Higechayacho Town' until 1889, and was reorganized into Oaza Higechaya, Yamashinamura village (later Yamashinacho Town) in accordance with the enforcement of the Municipal Government Act in the same year. There were only two Aza in Oaza Higechaya, which were reorganized into the two towns when it was integrated into the Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Towns that included the name 'Hino-oka' were former Oaza Hino-oka, Yamashinacho Town, which were reorganized into eight towns when it was integrated into the Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931.
Town that includes the name of 'Misasagi' is the former Oaza Misasagi, Yamashinacho Town, that was reorganized into thirty towns when it was integrated into Higashiyamaku Ward in 1931. 御陵' in Yamashinaku Ward is pronounced as 'Misasagi' but the that in Nishikyoku Ward is pronounced as 'Goryo'.