Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the de jure capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1869. However, Heian-kyō was never explicitly abandoned as the capital. Today, it is said that Tokyo has effectively replaced Kyoto as the capital, but there is a viewpoint that, in theory, Kyoto still holds the position of the capital. Emperor Saga also declared that Heian-kyō would remain the capital forever.