The Heian Imperial Palace in Kyoto

The original Heian-era imperial residence was built when the capital was moved from Nagaoka in 794. It was situated in the area occupied by Nijo Castle today, but was moved to its current location in 1331 after a series of disasters damaged its buildings.

All that is left of the original imperial palace grounds now is the pond and small garden at Shinsen-en, just south of Nijo Castle. However, just across the Kamo River lies the magnificent Heian Jingu, a late 19th Century replica of the Heian imperial palace.

Much of the movie Onmyoji was filmed at Heian Jingu.