NaraExplorer
Up-to-date and essential English tourist information about Nara for international visitors
Nara Explorer is Nara's first and only English tourist magazine.
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Celebrating the 1,300th Anniversary of Nara Heijo-kyo Capital in 2010
Heijo-kyo: Japan’s first international capital
The year 2010 will be incredibly special one for Nara as it marks the 1,300th anniversary of the founding of Nara’s Heijo-kyo Capital. Starting from the end of the 6th century, the capital of Japan was located in Nara for almost 200 years and Heijyo-kyo and the Nara period (710-794) are regarded as especially noteworthy in Japanese history. It was a period of intense cultural development resulting in some magnificent artistic and architectural achievements.
- Heijo-kyo was the first capital of Japan to unify the Japanese legal system. During this period, Japan was established as a state with a universal code of laws and a strong cultural foundation. Through exchanges with the countries of greater East Asia and beyond, many aspects of foreign cultures and civilizations were introduced to Japan. Indeed, in those days Nara was quite a large-scale “international” capital with over 1 million people (Today, Nara City has a population of 370,000).
- To celebrate this magnificent occasion, Nara has been planning and organizing a number of projects for the past several years. And now the door to the celebration year has just opened. Please enter to see and experience what this old capital has to offer you.
- *To learn more about the 1300th anniversary of the Heijo-kyo Capital, visit their multi-lingual website (English, Chinese, Korean, French):http://www.1300.jp/
- “Visit the 1,300th Anniversary of the Heijjo-kyo Capital and discover the “real” beauty of Nara” An Interview with the Governor of Nara Prefecture, Mr. Shogo Arai
- Nara Explorer (NE): A very special year for Nara will start now. How do you define the meaning of holding this major celebration to mark the 1,300th anniversary of the Heijo-kyo Capital?
- Mr. Arai: What I consider most important in this celebratory year is that we don’t want to make this special occasion appear like a temporary festival or touristic event. Many people, including first-time visitors, will probably come to Nara because of the 1300th anniversary events. I would like many people to discover and enjoy Nara and would like them to feel glad to have spent some time here.
- NE: Not only the public offices but also many companies and voluntary groups will plan a variety of events or activities during 2010. Do you think attitude of people in Nara has changed due to hosting this major event?
- Mr. Arai: One of Nara’s and Nara people’s characteristics is that we prefer time to flow slowly and change also. I believe this is why Nara has preserved so many traditional and valuable things. It is the same even for such a big occasion. People gradually perceived what the 1300th Anniversary of the Heijo-kyo really means. We have published an official guidebook of the entire event and our impressive mascot character, Sento-kun, is a good example of our motivation to make this anniversary a success. At the same time, I can see people became more conscious of welcoming visitors with hospitality. As I said before, this is the most important element for letting visitors enjoy the best of Nara.
- NE: A number of special events will be planned throughout 2010. Which event or plan do you want the visitors to pay the most attention to?
- Mr. Arai: We will construct a full-scale ship next to the Suzaku-mon Gate in the Heijo-kyo Palace site. The ship is a recreation of an old vessel which was used by the delegates of Japan who traveled to China during the Nara period. It will be really worth seeing because you will have a sense of the reality and dynamic appearance of the ship. It represents symbolic evidence that Nara flourished as an international city. *The ship will be displayed from the late April.
- NE: What kind of impact can this celebration make in both the domestic and international world?
- Mr. Arai: Nara hosts a number of valuable arts, crafts and Buddhist remains which remained here throughout its 1,300-year history. Some of them are original to Japan and some were brought from other countries. Nara allows people to feel this international atmosphere by visiting its temples and shrines or event pavilions. I hope many people will experience this sense when they visit Nara to join in the celebrations and it will be to my great pleasure if they find the essence of the “real” beauty of Nara during their stay.
- Temple & Shrine Special Openings & Exhibition: Inori no Kairo The journey of people’s wishes over 1,300 years
- Inori no Kairo, or the Journey of People’s Wishes over 1,300 years: Fifty-two temples and shrines throughout Nara will join in this event by holding special openings or displays solely for this occasion. This is a way to reconfirm Nara’s precious culture and history, both tangible and intangible, which continues to be preserved and shared with the people of today and the future.
Jan. 1-Dec. 31: Special exhibit of statue of the Koyakushi Nyorai at Shin Yakushi-ji Temple- Shin Yakushi-ji Temple was built in 747 by Empress Komyo, the wife of Emperor Shomu, who founded the Heijo-kyo Capital in Nara. In those days, Shin Yakushi-ji was one of the largest temples along with Todai-ji.
- One of the honorable cultural properties was a relatively small Buddhist statue (about 75 cm tall) created before the Nara period. Unfortunately the original statue was stolen in 1943 and hasn’t yet been found. However a model of the original figure existed before the theft so the temple was able to make a reproduction of the statue.
- Open: 9:00-17:00; entry: 600 yen; Tel: 0742-22-3736; map A, D-4, pg 7;http://www.k5.dion.ne.jp/~shinyaku/
Feb. 18-28: Denbo-do Hall and Statue of Amida Sanson, etc. at Horyu-ji Temple- The grounds of Horyu-ji Temple, founded in 607, host the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It hosts over 2,300 pieces of important cultural significance, including nearly 190 National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. In 1993, Horyu-ji became Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site gaining recognition as a unique storehouse of Buddhist culture.
- During this special period, one of the temple buildings called Denbo-do Hall (National Treasure) will be open for 11 days. Generally, this hall is open only for a very short time on the evening of July 24. A statue of Amida Sanson and other valuable Buddhist statues will be exhibited for public viewing.
- Open: 8:00-16:30 (until 17:00 after Feb. 22); entry: 500 yen; Tel: 0745-75-2555; map C, pg 7;http://www.horyuji.or.jp/;see pg 12 for access details.
Feb. 1-28: Special Opening of Omote Goten Room at Chugu-ji Temple- Chugu-ji Temple is said to be Japan’s oldest nun temple and is famous for its statue of Miroku Bosatsu (National Tureasure). It shows slight smile and graceful pose where the right leg is resting on the left thigh and the right finger is softly touching the cheek. Another piece is Tenjukoku Shucho (fragments). This is an embroidered picture of heaven, where the soul of Prince Shotoku was said to be after his death.
- During this special period, one of the temple’s buildings will open its door to visitors. Omote Goten is austere yet elegant and the wall paintings are particularly noteworthy, serving as a reminder to how beautiful the original paintings used to be.
- Open: 9:00-16:00; entry: 500 yen; Tel: 0745-75-2106; map C, pg 7;http://www.horyuji.or.jp/chuguji.htm; see pg 12 for access details.
Jan. 1-17, Mar. 13-28, Sept. 11-26: Murou-ji Temple: Special Opening of the Pagoda’s interior- While the Kongo Temple on Koyasan (Wakayama Prefecture) is male-exclusive, this is a Shingon temple that also allows women to worship in its precincts. For this reason, this temple is also called "Nyonin Koya (Koya for women)."
- The five-story pagoda (National Treasure) is 16 meters high and is Japan’s smallest outdoor five-story pagoda. During this special period, the first storey of the pagoda is open to the public for the first time in its history! This is truly a historic moment.
- Open: 9:00-16:00; entry: 600 yen (+400 yen to enter the inside of pagoda); Tel: 0745-93-2003; a 15-min. bus ride from Kintetsu Muro-guchi Ono Sta.;http://www.murouji.or.jp/
Jan. 1-Nov. 30: Special Opening of Statue of Monju Bosatsu at Abe Monju-in Temple- Abe Monju-in Temple is famous for being the largest statue of Monju Bosatsu in Japan (7 meters in height). Monju Bosatsu is a symbol of divine wisdom and is depicted riding on a gigantic lion. Abeno Monju-in Temple, known by the more familiar name of "Abeno Monju San" by local people, is one of the three major Monju temples in Japan. Because Monju is a symbol of wisdom, the temple is visited by many students wishing to pass the school or university entrance exam.
- For the first time since it was completed 790 years ago, the statue of Monju Bosatsu will be removed from the lion revealing her entire figure to view.
- Open: 9:00-17:00; entry: 700 yen; Tel: 0744-43-0002; a 20-min. walk from JR or Kintetsu Sakurai Sta. or take bus and get off at Abeno Monjuin Mae;http://www.abemonjuin.or.jp/
Jan. 1-17, Feb. 1-16: Special Opening of the Statue of Bishamonten at Chogosonshi-ji Temple- More than 1,400 years ago from today, the Imperial Prince Shotoku, who commissioned Horyu-ji Temple, visited this mountain area on his way to battle. There, he prayed for good fortune in the fight and Bishamonten appeared to provide him with tactics to win. According to the ancient Chinese astrological calendar, (represented by 12 animals), it was the time, day and year of the Tiger. Since then, the temple’s Bishamonten has been considered to be connected with the tiger.
- Every 12 years, in the year of Tiger, Chogosonshi-ji Temple holds a special opening. Statue of Bishamonten and other valuable temple treasures will be open to the public.
- Open: 9:00-16:00; entry: 500 yen; Tel: 0745-75-2106; take a taxi (15 min.) from JR or Kintetsu Oji Sta. or take Nara Kotsu Bus from Kintetsu Shigisan-shita Sta. (about 10 min.);http://www.sigisan.or.jp/
Mr. Shingo Tsuji
Person in charge of the Inori no Kairo (The 1,300th Anniversary of Heijo-kyo Capital Promotion Committee)- “I think temples and shrines are representative forms of Nara’s cultural and historical heritage. I can’t help imagining how people created such magnificent buildings and objects. Everything was created by people’s hand, taking years and years. They naturally contained the spirit or wish of the people who made them as well as that of people who visited and lived there.
- It is my great pleasure to be working for this project. I already had a keen interest in the historical sites of Japan but the more I learn about Nara and its history, the more I have started to be absorbed in it. I am sure foreign tourists will enjoy the famous and large tourist sites but I hope they will also discover the small yet special places in Nara.”
- Must-see & Must-experience Coming Events
- April 24-Nov. 7: Heijo-kyo History Museum:A reproduction of a full-scale ship used by the delegates of Japan to China in the Nara period; entry: 500 yen.
- Heijo-kyo Narikiri Experience Studio:Several hands-on experience programs (excavation experience: 500 yen, Nara period Tenpyo costume wearing: 500 yen, etc.).
- April 24-June 30, Sept. 1-Nov. 7:Heijo-kyo Exploration Tour with earphone guide (500 yen for the guide machine: English, Chinese, Korean, French).
- Aug. 20-27: Summer Night-time Light-up:The Heijo-kyo Palace Site will be elegantly lit-up at night. Night parade, outdoor concerts and other summer events will be held.
- Oct. 9-Nov. 7: Heijo-kyo Fair:Ancient rituals from the Nara period (8th century) will be recreated. Concert in the To-in Garden and other large scale events will be held.
