Tranquility and peace capital at the mercy of the elements: ideas about floods and ways to prevent them in the Heian japan

Flood is one of the most destructive natural phenomena in the world. Japan has been prone to various natural disasters from the beginning of its history, and there is a widespread view that the most dangerous of them are earthquakes and tsunamis. Nowadays it is certainly true, however, according to historical sources in ancient times for some regions of Japan prolonged rains and river overflows caused by them were no less (and even more) destructive. That was the case of Heian-kyo because the capital city was built in a valley, which is a part of the Kyoto Basin, between two large rivers - the Kadono-gawa (nowadays Katsuragawa) to the west and the Kamo-gawa to the east. The article considers the specifics of floods in Heian-kyo, rituals and practical measures used to minimize the damage caused by them, as well as the perception of the floods by people living in that times.