This city, often overshadowed by Tokyo despite its far more fascinating and unique history, has played many roles in its long history dating back to the 7th century or earlier. It was originally know as Naniwa-kyo, and was at that time the first capital of Japan, when Emperor Kotoku was in power. The characters for [...]

The Asuka Era The period from 592 to 710 is called “the Asuka Era,” because the capital was in Asuka district in the era. It was the cradle-time for the imperial dynasty to establish its sovereignty. Buddhism was brought from China : 538Buddhism was not only a religion but also a vast tome of deep [...]