Nara, Nara

"Nara, Japan" redirects here. For other Japanese topics called "Nara", see Nara.
Nara
奈良市
Core city
Nara City

From top left: Wakakusayama Mountain Burning, Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji, Yakushi-ji, Tōdai-ji, Kasuga Shrine and a deer in Nara Park

Flag

Location of Nara in Nara Prefecture
Nara

Location in Japan

Coordinates: 34°41′N 135°48′E / 34.683°N 135.800°E / 34.683; 135.800Coordinates: 34°41′N 135°48′E / 34.683°N 135.800°E / 34.683; 135.800
Country Japan
Region Kansai
Prefecture Nara Prefecture
Government
  Mayor Gen Nakagawa
Area
  Total 276.84 km2 (106.89 sq mi)
Population (January 1, 2010)
  Total 368,636
  Density 1,331.58/km2 (3,448.8/sq mi)
Symbols
  Tree Quercus gilva
  Flower Nara yaezakura
  Bird Japanese bush warbler
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address 1-1-1 Nijō-ōji, Nara-shi, Nara-ken
630-8580
Website www.city.nara.lg.jp

Nara (奈良市 Nara-shi) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture located in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, bordering Kyoto Prefecture. Eight temples, shrines and ruins in Nara remain: specifically Tōdai-ji, Saidai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Shrine, Gangō-ji, Yakushi-ji, Tōshōdai-ji, and the Heijō Palace, together with Kasugayama Primeval Forest, collectively form "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Etymology

By the Heian period, a variety of different characters had been used to represent the name Nara: 乃楽, 乃羅, 平, 平城, 名良, 奈良, 奈羅, 常, 那良, 那楽, 那羅, 楢, 諾良, 諾楽, 寧, 寧楽 and 儺羅.

A number of theories for the origin of the name Nara have been proposed, and some of the better-known ones are listed here. The second theory in the list, by notable folklorist Kunio Yanagita (1875-1962), is most widely accepted at present.

The "Flat land" theory is adopted by Nihon Kokugo Daijiten (the largest dictionary of Japanese language), various dictionaries for place names,[8][11][12] history books on Nara[13] and the like today, and it is regarded as the most likely.

History

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 794, lending its name to the Nara period.

The temples of Nara, known collectively as the Nanto Shichi Daiji, remained powerful even beyond the move of the political capital to Heian-kyō in 794, thus giving Nara a synonym of Nanto (南都 "The southern Capital").

In 2010, Nara celebrated the 1,300th anniversary of its ascension as Japan's imperial capital.[14]

Modern Nara

In the modern age, as the seat of the prefectural government, Nara has developed into a local center of commerce and government. The city was officially incorporated on February 1, 1898.

Geography

The city of Nara lies in the north end of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering itself to Kyoto Prefecture in its north side. The city is 22.22 kilometres (13.81 mi) from North to South, from East to West. As a result of the latest merger, effective April 1, 2005, that combined the villages of Tsuge and Tsukigase with the city of Nara, the city now borders Mie Prefecture directly to its east. The total area is 276.84 square kilometres (106.89 square miles).[15]

The downtown of Nara is on the east side of the ancient Heijō Palace site, occupying the northern part of what was called the Gekyō (外京), literally the outer capital area. Many of the public offices (e.g. the Municipal office, the Nara Prefectural government, the Nara Police headquarters, etc.) are located on Nijō-ōji (二条大路), while Nara branch offices of major nationwide banks are on Sanjō-ōji (三条大路), with both avenues running east-west.

The highest point in the city is at the peak of Kaigahira-yama at an altitude of 822.0 m (2,696.85 ft) (Tsugehayama-cho district), and the lowest is in Ikeda-cho district, with an altitude of 56.4 m (185.04 ft).[16]

Climate

The climate of Nara Prefecture is generally temperate, although there are notable differences between the north-western basin area and the rest of the prefecture which is more mountainous.

The basin area climate has an inland characteristic, as represented in the higher daily temperature variance, and the difference between summer and winter temperatures. Winter temperatures average approximately 3 to 5 °C (37 to 41 °F), and from 25 to 28 °C (77 to 82 °F) in the summer with highest readings reaching close to 35 °C (95 °F). There has not been a single year since 1990 with more than 10 days of snowfall recorded by Nara Local Meteorological Observatory.

The climate in the rest of the prefecture is that of higher elevations especially in the south, with −5 °C (23 °F) being the extreme minimum in winter. Heavy rainfall is often observed in summer. The annual accumulated rainfall totals as much as 3,000 to 5,000 mm (118.11 to 196.85 in), which is among the heaviest in Japan and indeed in the world outside the equatorial zone.

Spring and fall temperatures are temperate and comfortable. The mountainous region of Yoshino has been long popular for viewing cherry blossoms in the spring. In autumn, the southern mountains are also a popular destination for viewing fall foliage.

Climate data for Nara, Nara (1981~2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.9
(66)
23.9
(75)
25.9
(78.6)
30.5
(86.9)
32.7
(90.9)
35.8
(96.4)
37.3
(99.1)
39.3
(102.7)
36.9
(98.4)
32.0
(89.6)
26.8
(80.2)
21.7
(71.1)
39.3
(102.7)
Average high °C (°F) 8.7
(47.7)
9.6
(49.3)
13.4
(56.1)
19.8
(67.6)
24.1
(75.4)
27.2
(81)
30.8
(87.4)
32.6
(90.7)
28.2
(82.8)
22.2
(72)
16.5
(61.7)
11.4
(52.5)
20.4
(68.7)
Average low °C (°F) −0.2
(31.6)
−0.1
(31.8)
2.3
(36.1)
7.4
(45.3)
12.5
(54.5)
17.5
(63.5)
21.8
(71.2)
22.6
(72.7)
18.8
(65.8)
12.1
(53.8)
6.4
(43.5)
1.9
(35.4)
10.3
(50.5)
Record low °C (°F) −7
(19)
−7.8
(18)
−5
(23)
−2.4
(27.7)
1.4
(34.5)
7.3
(45.1)
12.2
(54)
12.8
(55)
7.7
(45.9)
2.3
(36.1)
−2.6
(27.3)
−6.6
(20.1)
−7.8
(18)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 49.6
(1.953)
63.3
(2.492)
103.2
(4.063)
97.7
(3.846)
143.5
(5.65)
188.8
(7.433)
165.1
(6.5)
111.8
(4.402)
163.3
(6.429)
111.1
(4.374)
71.4
(2.811)
47.3
(1.862)
1,316.1
(51.815)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 2
(0.8)
4
(1.6)
1
(0.4)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
1
(0.4)
8
(3.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.5 mm) 7.9 7.9 12.3 10.6 11.3 12.9 11.8 8.6 11.5 9.8 8.3 7.7 120.6
Average snowy days 1.4 1.9 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 4.8
Average relative humidity (%) 69 69 68 65 69 75 77 74 77 77 76 72 72.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 116.7 115.5 147.4 180.3 184.8 143.5 162.7 205.4 150.3 154.5 134.5 127.3 1,822.9
Source #1: Japan Meteorological Agency[17]
Source #2: Japan Meteorological Agency (records)[18]

Demographics

As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 373,189 and a population density of 1,348 persons per km2. There were 147,966 households residing in Nara. The highest concentration of both households and population, respectively about 46,000 and 125,000, is found along the newer bedtown districts, along the Kintetsu line connecting to Osaka.

There were about 3,000 registered foreigners in the city, of which Koreans and Chinese are the two largest groups with about 1,200 and 800 people respectively.

Landmarks

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference 870
UNESCO region Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 1998 (22nd Session)

Deer in Nara

Deer roaming in Nara Park in autumn.

According to the legendary history of Kasuga Shrine, a mythological god Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijō-kyō.[19] Since then the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city and the country.[19]

Tame sika deer (also known as spotted deer or Japanese deer) roam through the town, especially in Nara Park.[15][16][20][21][22] In 2015 there were more than 1,200 sika deer in Nara.[20][21][22] Snack vendors sell sika senbei (deer crackers) to visitors so they can feed the deer.[20][21][22] Some deer have learned to bow to people after receiving senbei.[20][21][22]

Education

As of 2005, there are 16 high schools and 6 universities located in the city of Nara.

Universities

Nara Women's University is one of only two national women's universities in Japan.

Primary and secondary education

Public schools

Public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the city of Nara.

Public high schools are operated by the Nara Prefecture.

Private schools

Private high schools in Nara include the Tōdaiji Gakuen, a private school founded by the temple in 1926.

Transportation

The main central station of Nara is Kintetsu Nara Station.

Rail

Roads

International relations

Twin towns/sister cities

Nara, according to its own official record, has three sister cities in Japan and six sister cities overseas.[23][24]

In Japan

Outside Japan

Cultural References

In Alt-J's 2014 album, This is All Yours, 3 tracks reference Nara - "Arrival in Nara", "Nara", and "Leaving Nara".[26]

References

  1. 柳田国男 (Yanagita, Kunio) (1936): 地名の研究 (The Study of Place Names), pub. 古今書院 (Kokon Shoin), pp. 217-219
  2. 東条 操 (Tōjō, Misao) (1951): 全国方言辞典 Dictionary of Japanese Dialects, 東京堂出版.
  3. 吉田東伍 YOSHIDA Tōgo (1907), 『大日本地名辞書 上巻』 (The Dictionary of Place Names in the Great Japan, Fuzambo, Vol.1), 冨山房, pp.190-191.
  4. 松岡静雄 編 MATSUOKA Shizuo ed. (1929), 『日本古語大辞典』 (The Unabridged Dictionary of Old Japanese), 刀江書院, p.955. Previous to Matsuoka, KANAZAWA Shôzaburô (1903) pointed out the possibility of influence from Korea. Both were, however, comparing Old Japanese to Modern Korean, not Old Korean.
  5. NAVAR Korean Dictionary
  6. 劉昌惇 (1964), 李朝語辭典 (The Dictionary of Words in the Joseon Dynasty), 延世大学校出版部.
  7. Beckwith (2007): Koguryo, the Language of Japan's Continental Relatives, Brill Academic Publishers, 2004. 2nd ed., 2007. p.176
  8. 1 2 楠原佑介ほか KUSUHARA Yūsuke et al. (1981), 『古代地名語源辞典』 (The Dictionary of Ancient Place Name Etymology), 東京堂出版, p.232
  9. One of the earliest assumption for this is seen in 奈良市 編 Nara ed. (1937), 『奈良市史』 (The History of Nara, Nara)., 奈良市.
  10. 宮腰賢ほか編 MIYAKOSHI Masaru et al. ed. (2011), 『全訳古語辞典』 (The Dictionary of Old Japanese with Complete Translation) 第4版, 旺文社.
  11. 池田末則・横田健一編 IKEDA Suenori & YOKOTA Ken'ichi (Eds.) (1981), 『日本歴史地名大系30 奈良県の地名』(A Series on Historical Place Names in Japan, Vol. 30, Place Names in Nara Prefecture), 平凡社, p.490
  12. 角川日本地名大辞典編纂委員会編 (1990), 『角川日本地名大辞典 29 奈良県』(Kadokawa Unabridged Dictionary of Place Names in Japan, Vol. 29, Nara Prefecture), 角川書店, p.814
  13. e.g. 斎藤建夫 編 SAITŌ Tateo (ed.) (1997), 『郷土資料事典 : ふるさとの文化遺産. 29(奈良県) 』 (The Dictionary of Native Place Data. Vol. 29. Nara Prefecture.), 人文社, p.27
  14. Tabuchi, Hiroko (2010-01-03). "Happy 1,300th to Nara, Japan". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  15. 1 2 "City Profile of Nara". Nara City. 2007-04-02. Retrieved 2007-04-02. For more details and latest figures, navigate to the equivalent Japanese page at the official homepage
  16. 1 2 "奈良市統計書「統計なら」平成17年版(2005年版)(Nara City Statistics, Year 2005 Edition)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-04-02.
  17. "平年値(年・月ごとの値)". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  18. "観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値)". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  19. 1 2 "奈良のシカの歴史 (The history of deer in Nara)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-04-02.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "In Nara, Japan, the deer know their place: everywhere". Los Angeles Times. 2010-04-02.
  21. 1 2 3 4 "Oh, deer! Take the cutest selfie at Japan's Nara Park". The Globe and Mail. 2015-10-08.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "Are There Really Deer Everywhere In Nara Park?". Matcha. 2015-04-04.
  23. http://www.city.nara.nara.jp/b_hp/english/kokon/kuryu/index.htm
  24. Vladimir, Russia recognizes Nara as one of its sister cities, while Nara does not.Sister cities of Vladimir
  25. "Canberra's international relationships - Canberra's international relationships". www.cmd.act.gov.au. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  26. "Alt-J: This Is All Yours (review)". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
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