| Nara Prefecture | |
| Settlement Type: | Prefecture |
| Translit Lang1: | Japanese |
| Translit Lang1 Type: | Japanese |
| Translit Lang1 Info: | Japanese: 奈良県 |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Rōmaji |
| Translit Lang1 Info1: | Japanese: Nara-ken |
| Flag Size: | 100px |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Emblem of Nara Prefecture.svg |
| Blank Emblem Size: | 80px |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Symbol |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Japan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kansai |
| Subdivision Type2: | Island |
| Subdivision Name2: | Honshu |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Nara |
| Parts Type: | Subdivisions |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | Districts 7 |
| P2: | Municipalities 39 |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Makoto Yamashita |
| Area Total Km2: | 3,691.09 |
| Area Water Percent: | 0.5 |
| Area Rank: | 40th |
| Population Total: | 1,321,805 |
| Population As Of: | 1 December 2020 |
| Population Rank: | 30th |
| Population Density Km2: | 358.10 |
| Demographics Type2: | GDP |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [1] |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Total |
| Demographics2 Info1: | JP¥ 3,925 billion US$ 36.0 billion (2019) |
| Iso Code: | JP-29 |
| Module: | |
| Anthem: | Nara kenmin no uta |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Dialects |
| Population Blank1: | Nara・Okuyoshino |
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu.[3] Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805[4] and has a geographic area of 3691km2. Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayama Prefecture to the southwest, and Mie Prefecture to the east.
Nara is the capital and largest city of Nara Prefecture, with other major cities including Kashihara, Ikoma, and Yamatokōriyama.[5] Nara Prefecture is located in the center of the Kii Peninsula on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast, and is one of only eight landlocked prefectures. Nara Prefecture has the distinction of having more UNESCO World Heritage listings than any other prefecture in Japan.[6]
See also: Asuka period, Nara period and Historic Sites of Nara Prefecture. Nara Prefecture region is considered one of the oldest regions in Japan, having been in existence for thousands of years, and is widely viewed as the Japanese cradle of civilization. Like Kyoto, Nara was one of Imperial Japan's earliest capital cities.[7] [8] The current form of Nara Prefecture was officially created in 1887 when it became independent of Osaka Prefecture.
Historically, Nara Prefecture was also known as Yamato-no-kuni or Yamato Province.[9]
From the third century to the fourth century, a poorly documented political force existed at the foot of Mount Miwa, east of Nara Basin. It sought unification of most parts in Japan. Since the historical beginning of Japan, Yamato was its political center.
Ancient capitals of Japan were built on the land of Nara, namely Asuka-kyō, Fujiwara-kyō (694–710)[10] and Heijō-kyō (most of 710–784).[11] The capital cities of Fujiwara and Heijō are believed to have been modeled after Chinese capitals at the time, incorporating grid layout patterns. The royal court also established relations with Sui and then Tang dynasty China and sent students to the Middle Kingdom to learn high civilization. By 7th century, Nara accepted the many immigrants including refugees of Baekje who had escaped from war disturbances of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The first high civilization with royal patronage of Buddhism flourished in today's Nara city (710–784 AD).
In 784, Emperor Kanmu decided to relocate the capital to Nagaoka-kyō in Yamashiro Province, followed by another move in 794 to Heian-kyō, marking the start of the Heian period. The temples in Nara remained powerful beyond the move of political capital, thus giving Nara a synonym of "Nanto" (meaning "South Capital") as opposed to Heian-kyō, situated in the north. Close to the end of Heian period, Taira no Shigehira, a son of Taira no Kiyomori, was ordered by his father to depress the power of various parties, mainly Kōfuku-ji and Tōdai-ji, who were backing up an opposition group headed by Prince Mochihito. The movement led to a collision between the Taira and the Nara temples in 1180. This clash eventually led to Kōfuku-ji and Tōdai-ji being set on fire, resulting in vast destruction of architectural heritage.
At the rise of the Minamoto to its ruling seat and the opening of Kamakura shogunate, Nara enjoyed the support of Minamoto no Yoritomo toward restoration. Kōfuku-ji, being the "home temple" to the Fujiwara since its foundation, not only regained the power it had before but became a de facto regional chief of Yamato Province. With the reconstruction of Kōfuku-ji and Tōdai-ji, a town was growing again near the two temples.
The Nanboku-chō period, starting in 1336, brought more instability to Nara. As Emperor Go-Daigo chose Yoshino as his base, a power struggle arose in Kōfuku-ji with a group supporting the South and another siding the North court. Likewise, local clans were split into two. Kōfuku-ji recovered its control over the province for a short time at the surrender of the South Court in 1392, while the internal power game of the temple itself opened a way for the local samurai clans to spring up and fight with each other, gradually acquiring their own territories, thus diminishing the influence of Kōfuku-ji overall.
Later, the whole province of Yamato got drawn into the confusion of the Sengoku period. Tōdai-ji was once again set on fire in 1567, when Matsunaga Hisahide, who was later appointed by Oda Nobunaga to the lord of Yamato Province, fought for supremacy against his former master Miyoshi family. Followed by short appointments of Tsutsui Junkei and Toyotomi Hidenaga by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to the lord, the Tokugawa shogunate ultimately ruled the city of Nara directly, and most parts of Yamato province with a few feudal lords allocated at Kōriyama, Takatori and other places. With industry and commerce developing in the 18th century, the economy of the province was incorporated into prosperous Osaka, the commercial capital of Japan at the time.
A first prefecture (briefly -fu in 1868, but -ken for most of the time)[12] named Nara was established in the Meiji Restoration in 1868 as successor to the shogunate administration of the shogunate city and shogunate lands in Yamato. After the 1871 Abolition of the han system, Nara was merged with other prefectures (from former han, see List of Han#Yamato Province) and cleared of ex-/enclaves to encompass all of Yamato province. In 1876, Nara was merged into Sakai which in turn became part of Osaka in 1881. In 1887, Nara became independent again, with Saisho Atsushi as the first governor.[13] [14] The first prefectural assembly of Nara was elected in the same year and opened its first session in 1888 in the gallery of the main hall of Tōdai temple.[14]
In the 1889 Great Meiji mergers which subdivided all (then 45) prefectures into modern municipalities, Nara prefecture's 16 districts were subdivided into 154 municipalities: 10 towns and 144 villages. The first city in Nara was only established in 1898 when Nara Town from Soekami District was made district-independent to become Nara City (see List of mergers in Nara Prefecture and List of mergers in Osaka Prefecture).
The economic dependency to Osaka even characterizes today's Nara Prefecture, for many inhabitants commute to Osaka to work or study there.
Nara Prefecture is part of the Kansai, or Kinki, region of Japan, and is located in the middle of the Kii Peninsula on the western half of Honshu. Nara Prefecture is landlocked. It is bordered to the west by Wakayama Prefecture and Osaka Prefecture; on the north by Kyoto Prefecture and on the east by Mie Prefecture.
Nara Prefecture is from east to west and from north to south.
Most of the prefecture is covered by mountains and forests, leaving an inhabitable area of only 851km2. The ratio of inhabitable area to total area is 23%, ranked 43rd among the 47 prefectures in Japan.[15]
Nara Prefecture is bisected by the Japan Median Tectonic Line (MTL) running through its territory east to west, along the Yoshino River. On the northern side of the MTL is the so-called Inner Zone, where active faults running north to south are still shaping the landscape. The Ikoma Mountains in the northwest form the border with Osaka Prefecture. The Nara Basin, which lies to the east of these mountains, contains the highest concentration of population in Nara Prefecture. Further east are the Kasagi Mountains, which separate the Basin from the Yamato Highlands.
South of the MTL is the Outer Zone, comprising the Kii Mountains, which occupy about 60% of the land area of the prefecture. The Ōmine Range is in the center of the Kii Mountains, running north to south, with steep valleys on both sides. The tallest mountain in Nara Prefecture, and indeed in the Kansai region, is Mount Hakkyō. To the west, separating Nara Prefecture from Wakayama Prefecture, is the Obako Range, with peaks around 1300m (4,300feet). To the east, bordering Mie Prefecture, is the Daikō Range, including Mount Ōdaigahara. This mountainous region is also home to a World Heritage Site, the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range".
About 17% of the total land area of the prefecture is designated as National Park land, comprising the Yoshino-Kumano National Park, Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen, Kōya-Ryūjin, Murō-Akame-Aoyama, and Yamato-Aogaki Quasi-National Parks; and the Tsukigase-Kōnoyama, Yata, and Yoshinogawa-Tsuboro Prefectural Natural Parks.[16]
In the Nara Basin, the climate has inland characteristics, as represented in the bigger temperature variance within the same day, and the difference of summer and winter temperatures. Winter temperatures average about 3to, and 25to in the summer with highest reaching close to . There is not a single year over the last decade (since 1990, up to 2007) with more than 10 days of snowfall recorded by Nara Local Meteorological Observatory.
The climate in the rest of the prefecture are mountainous, and especially in the south, with below being the extreme minimum in winter. Heavy rainfall is observed in summer. The annual accumulated rainfall ranges as much as 3000mm5000mm, which is among the heaviest in Japan.
Spring and fall are temperate. The mountainous region of Yoshino has been popular both historically and presently for its cherry blossoms in the spring. In the fall, the southern mountains are equally striking with the changing of the oak trees.
See also: List of cities in Nara Prefecture by population. Since 2006, there are 39 municipalities in Nara Prefecture: twelve [by definition: district-independent] cities and seven remaining districts containing 15 towns and twelve villages:
| Abbreviation | Full name | Area (km2) | Population | District | Type | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese, Romanization | |||||||
| Gojō | 五條市, Gojō-shi | 291.98 | 33,283 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Gose | 御所市, Gose-shi | 60.65 | 26,522 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Ikoma | 生駒市, Ikoma-shi | 53.18 | 120,741 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Kashiba | 香芝市, Kashiba-shi | 24.23 | 79,023 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Kashihara | 橿原市, Kashihara-shi | 39.52 | 124,829 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Katsuragi | 葛城市, Katsuragi-shi | 33.73 | 37,352 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Nara (capital) | 奈良市, Nara-shi | 276.84 | 359,666 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Sakurai | 桜井市, Sakurai-shi | 98.92 | 58,386 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Tenri | 天理市, Tenri-shi | 86.37 | 66,866 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Uda | 宇陀市, Uda-shi | 247.62 | 31,274 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Yamatokōriyama | 大和郡山市, Yamato-Kōriyama-shi | 42.69 | 87,541 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Yamatotakada | 大和高田市, Yamato-Takada-shi | 16.48 | 66,400 | — | City (-shi) | ||
| Ando | 安堵町, Ando-chō | 4.33 | 7,523 | Ikoma District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Asuka | 明日香村, Asuka-mura | 24.08 | 5,681 | Takaichi District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Heguri | 平群町, Heguri-chō | 23.9 | 18,774 | Ikoma District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Higashiyoshino | 東吉野村, Higashi-Yoshino-mura | 131.6 | 1,661 | Yoshino District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Ikaruga | 斑鳩町, Ikaruga-chō | 14.27 | 27,341 | Ikoma District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Kamikitayama | 上北山村, Kami-Kitayama-mura | 274.05 | 486 | Yoshino District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Kanmaki | 上牧町, Kanmaki-chō | 6.14 | 22,807 | Kitakatsuragi District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Kawai | 河合町, Kawai-chō | 8.27 | 17,831 | Kitakatsuragi District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Kawakami | 川上村, Kawakami-mura | 269.26 | 1,498 | Yoshino District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Kawanishi | 川西町, Kawanishi-chō | 5.94 | 8,704 | Shiki District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Kōryō | 広陵町, Kōryō-chō | 16.34 | 35,021 | Kitakatsuragi District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Kurotaki | 黒滝村, Kurotaki-mura | 47.71 | 745 | Yoshino District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Mitsue | 御杖村, Mitsue-mura | 79.63 | 1,696 | Uda District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Miyake | 三宅町, Miyake-chō | 4.07 | 7,013 | Shiki District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Nosegawa | 野迫川村, Nosegawa-mura | 155.03 | 424 | Yoshino District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Ōji | 王寺町, Ōji-chō | 7 | 22,791 | Kitakatsuragi District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Ōyodo | 大淀町, Ōyodo-chō | 38.06 | 17,731 | Yoshino District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Sangō | 三郷町, Sangō-chō | 8.8 | 23,455 | Ikoma District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Shimoichi | 下市町, Shimoichi-chō | 62.01 | 5,378 | Yoshino District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Shimokitayama | 下北山村, Shimo-Kitayama-mura | 133.53 | 855 | Yoshino District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Soni | 曽爾村, Soni-mura | 47.84 | 1,528 | Uda District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Takatori | 高取町, Takatori-chō | 25.77 | 6,964 | Takaichi District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Tawaramoto | 田原本町, Tawaramoto-chō | 21.09 | 32,241 | Shiki District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Tenkawa | 天川村, Tenkawa-mura | 175.7 | 1,310 | Yoshino District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Totsukawa | 十津川村, Totsukawa-mura | 672.35 | 3,488 | Yoshino District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Yamazoe | 山添村, Yamazoe-mura | 66.52 | 3,701 | Yamabe District | Village (-mura) | ||
| Yoshino | 吉野町, Yoshino-chō | 95.96 | 6,337 | Yoshino District | Town (-chō) | ||
| Nara | 奈良県, Nara-ken | 3,691.09 | 1,321,805 | — | Prefecture (-ken) |
Kansai Science City is located in the northwest.
See main article: article and List of mergers in Nara Prefecture.
| align=center colspan=4 | Population by districts[17] | ||
| District | Area Size (km2) | Population | Density per km2 |
| Yamato flat inland plain | 837.27 | 1,282 | 1,531 |
| (Share in %) | 22.7% | 89.7% | |
| Yamato highland | 506.89 | 56 | 110 |
| (Share in %) | 13.7% | 3.9% | |
| Gojō, Yoshino | 2,346.84 | 92 | 39 |
| (Share in %) | 63.6% | 6.4% | |
| Total Prefecture | 3,691.09 | 1,430 | 387 |
| (Share in %) | 100.0% | 100.0% | |
According to the 2005 Census of Japan, Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,421,310, which is a decrease of 1.5%, since the year 2000.[18]
The decline continued in 2006, with another decrease of 4,987 people compared to 2005. This includes a natural decrease from previous year of 288 people (11,404 births minus 11,692 deaths) and a decrease due to net domestic migration of 4,627 people outbound from the prefecture, and a decrease of 72 registered foreigners. Net domestic migration has turned into a continuous outbound trend since 1998. The largest destinations of migration in 2005 were the prefectures of Kyoto, Tokyo, and Hyōgo, with respectively a net of 1,130,982 and 451 people moving over. The largest inbound migration was from Niigata Prefecture, contributing to a net increase of 39 people. 13.7% of its population were reported as under 15, 65.9% between 15 and 64, and 20.4% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 52.5% of the population.[19]
As of 2004, the average density of the prefecture is 387 people per km2. By districts,[20] the so-called Yamato flat inland plain holds as much as about 90% of total population within the approximately 23% size of area in the north-west, including the NaraBasin, representing a density of 1,531 people per km2. To the contrast, the combined district Gojō and Yoshino District occupies almost 64% of the land, while only 6% of people lives there, resulting in a density of 39 people km2.
Nara prefecture had the highest rate in Japan of people commuting outbound for work, at 30.9% in 2000. A similar tendency is seen in prefectures such as Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa, all three of them having over 20% of people commuting for other prefectures.[15]
The 2004 total gross prefecture product (GPP) for Nara was ¥3.8 trillion, an 0.1% growth over previous year. The per capita income was ¥2.6 million, which is a 1.3% decrease from previous year. The 2004 total gross prefecture product (GPP) for Nara was ¥3.8 trillion, an 0.1% growth over previous year. Manufacturing has the biggest share in the GPP of Nara with 20.2% of share, followed by services (19.1%) and real estates (16.3%). The share of agriculture including forestry and fishery was a mere 1.0%, only above mining, which is quasi-inexistent in Nara.[27]
The culture of Nara is tied to the Kansai region in which it is located. However, like each of the other prefectures of Kansai, Nara has unique aspects to its culture, parts of which stem from its long history dating back to the Nara period.
There are large differences in dialect between the north/central region of the prefecture, where Nara city is located, and the Okunoya district in the south. The north/central dialect is close to Osaka's dialect, whilst Okunoya's dialect favours a Tokyo-style accent. The lengthening of vowel sounds in the Okunoya dialect is unseen in other dialects of the Kinki region, making it a special feature.
Foods particular to Nara Prefecture include:
The following are recognized by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry as being traditional arts of Nara:[28] [29]
The sports teams listed below are based in Nara.
Many jinja (Shinto shrines), Buddhist temples, and kofun exist in Nara Prefecture, making it is a centre for tourism. Moreover, many world heritage sites, such as the temple Tōdai-ji and Kasuga Shrine, exist in the capital city of Nara.
| 法隆寺 | ||
| Hokki-ji (Hōki-ji) | 法起寺 |
| 東大寺 | ||
| 興福寺 | ||
| 春日大社 | ||
| 元興寺 | ||
| 薬師寺 | ||
| 唐招提寺 | ||
| Heijō Palace remains | 平城宮跡 | |
| 正倉院 |
| Mt. Yoshino | Kinpusen-ji | |
| Yoshino Mikumari Shrine | ||
| Kinpu Shrine | ||
| Yoshimizu Shrine | ||
| Mount Omine | Ominesan-ji |
| 飛鳥寺 | ||
| 中宮寺 | ||
| 長谷寺 | ||
| 法輪寺 | ||
| 室生寺 | ||
| 西大寺 | ||
| 新薬師寺 | ||
| 南法華寺 | ||
| 当麻寺 |
| 石上神宮 | ||
| Kashihara Shrine | 橿原神宮 | |
| 談山神社 | ||
| 大神神社 | ||
| 大和神社 |
| 石舞台古墳 | ||
| キトラ古墳 | ||
| Takamatsuzuka Tomb | 高松塚古墳 | |
| 箸墓古墳 | ||
| 馬見古墳群 | ||
| 酒船石遺跡 |
| 洞川温泉 | ||
| 入之波温泉 | ||
| 上湯温泉 | ||
| Totsukawa | 十津川温泉 |
| 大和三山 | ||
| 若草山 | ||
| 奈良公園 | ||
| 吉野熊野国立公園 | ||
| Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park | 金剛生駒紀泉国定公園 | |
| 高野龍神国定公園 | ||
| 室生赤目青山国定公園 | ||
| 大和青垣国定公園 |