Kyoto Prefecture in western Japan traces its modern form to the Meiji era, when the government replaced the old feudal domains with prefectures after the Meiji Restoration. Kyoto itself had been Japan's imperial capital for more than a thousand years, from the founding of Heian-kyo in 794, until the emperor moved to Tokyo in 1868. The prefecture contains the city of Kyoto, famous for its temples, gardens and traditional crafts, and a number of its monuments, including Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, are inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Because the city was spared heavy bombing in the Second World War, much of its historic architecture survives.
Before and after
- 23 March 1868Founding of University of California, Berkeley
- 18 May 1868Birth of Nicholas II of Russia
- 1 June 1868Death of James Buchanan
- 14 June 1868Birth of Karl Landsteiner
- 19 June 1868Construction of Kyoto Prefecture
- 18 August 1868Discovery of helium
- 6 September 1868Founding of Tokyo
- 1 October 1868Construction of St Pancras railway station
- from 23 October 1868 to 30 July 1912Meiji era
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The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.