Asuka, Nara
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the village of . For articles related to the capital, sites and ruins of , see Asuka, YamatoAsuka, Yamatowas one of the Imperial capitals of Japan during the Asuka period , which takes its name from this place. It is located in the present-day village of Asuka, Nara Prefecture....
. For other uses, see AsukaAsukaAsuka is a Japanese personal, family and place name derived from Ashuku nyorai, the Japanese name for Akshobhya, one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas.-Places:...
.
is a village
Villages of Japan
A is a local administrative unit in Japan.It is a local public body along with , , and . Geographically, a village's extent is contained within a prefecture....
located in Takaichi District
Takaichi District, Nara
Takaichi is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 14,624 and a density of 293.36 persons per km². The total area is 49.85 km².-Towns and villages:*Asuka*Takatori...
, Nara
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
As of September 1, 2007, the village has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 6,146 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 255.23 persons per km². The total area is 24.08 km².
Asuka is the land where ancient palaces were located. There are strict rules governing construction in this historic town.
Asuka can be reached from Okadera
Okadera Station
is a train station located in Kashihara, Nara, Japan.The station was named after Oka-dera, a Buddhist temple located east of the station. However, since there is no transport from the station, the temple recommends visitors to use Kashiharajingū-mae Station and the bus connection.-Layout:-Adjacent...
or Asuka Station
Asuka Station
is a train station located in Asuka, Takaichi District, Nara, Japan, on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line.-Station layout:-Surroundings:*Takamatsuzuka Tomb*Ishibutai Kofun*Oni no Manaita, Oni no Setchin*Tomb of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito...
on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line
Kintetsu Yoshino Line
of Kintetsu Corporation is a railway line in Japan between Kashihara-Jingūmae Station in Kashihara and Yoshino in Yoshino. All Express and Limited Express trains terminate at the Ōsaka Abenobashi Station in Minami-Osaka Line.-Statistics:* Length: 25.2km...
train line. Although it's outside Asuka, Kashiharajingū-mae Station
Kashiharajingu-mae Station
is a railway station located in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is on the Kintetsu Kashihara Line, the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line and the Kintetsu Yoshino Line...
in neighboring Kashihara
Kashihara, Nara
is a city located in Nara, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 125,547 and the density of 3,176.79 persons per km². The total area is 39.52 km²....
has service on the Kintetsu Kashihara
Kintetsu Kashihara Line
of Kintetsu Corporation is a north-south bound railway line between Yamato-Saidaiji Station and Kashiharajingu-mae Station in Nara Prefecture, in Japan...
, Minami-Osaka and Yoshino Lines
Kintetsu Yoshino Line
of Kintetsu Corporation is a railway line in Japan between Kashihara-Jingūmae Station in Kashihara and Yoshino in Yoshino. All Express and Limited Express trains terminate at the Ōsaka Abenobashi Station in Minami-Osaka Line.-Statistics:* Length: 25.2km...
. By car, Asuka is on Route 169
Route 169 (Japan)
National Route 169 is a national highway of Japan connecting Nara, Nara and Shingū, Wakayama in Japan, with a total length of 184.6 km ....
.
History
For the ancient Asuka, see Asuka periodAsuka period
The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...
and Asuka, Yamato
Asuka, Yamato
was one of the Imperial capitals of Japan during the Asuka period , which takes its name from this place. It is located in the present-day village of Asuka, Nara Prefecture....
.
Thanks to the ancient capital, which is located there, Asuka has been known as a good place to sightsee, especially for history lovers.
In 1956, the village of Asuka (明日香) was founded as a result of a merger of three villages, Sakaai, Takechi and Asuka (飛鳥村).
In 1966, Asuka was proclaimed a "historic town", as defined by the national Special Arrangement for Preservation of Historic Sites Law http://www.houko.com/00/01/S41/001.HTM as well as Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
and Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
. The law restricts constructions and other civil engineering operations in the designated areas due preservation of the historic sites. In 1967, a part of Asuka, around 391ha in area, was designated as a historic site for preservation. Along with this decision, the government planned to build Asuka National Historic Park, for which construction was launched in 1966 and finished in 1994.
In 1972, a site with colorfully painted murals from the late Asuka period was found in the Takamatsuzuka Tomb
Takamatsuzuka Tomb
The or "Tall Pine Tree Ancient Burial Mound" in Japanese is an ancient circular tomb in Asuka village, Nara prefecture, Japan.The tomb is thought to have been built at some time between the end of the 7th century and the beginning of the 8th century. It was accidentally discovered by a local...
.
Since the Special Arrangement for Preservation of Historic Sites Law (1966) restricts any visual changes in the areas which it concerns, it has directly affected the daily life of residents. To preserve the site, they have had to give up some elements of modern life. As compensation, the Asuka Law, which aims to preserve the site effectively and give economic support for Asuka residents, was settled in 1980.
Asuka stones and Kofun
In various parts of the Asuka region are unusual carved granite stones the largest of which is Masuda no iwafune. This is a large stone structure approximately 11 meters in length, 8 meters in width, and 4.7 meters In height. The upper surface is flat, with a shallow trough and two square holes. This is located on top of a hill just a few hundred meters west of Okadera Station. How or why this colossal stone and others was carved remains a mystery. They appear to be a different style than later Buddhist sculptures. There are also several nearby kofuns or tombs including the Ishibutai Kofun which is built from massive boulders including one that weighs an estimated 75 tons. This may have been the tomb of Soga-no-Umako.Surrounding municipalities
- Nara PrefectureNara Prefectureis a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
- KashiharaKashihara, Narais a city located in Nara, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 125,547 and the density of 3,176.79 persons per km². The total area is 39.52 km²....
- SakuraiSakurai, Narais a city in Nara, Japan.As of 2007, the city had an estimated population of 63,321 with a density of 630.01 persons per km². The total area is 98.92 km².The city was founded on September 1, 1956....
- TakatoriTakatori, Narais a town located in Takaichi District, Nara, Japan.As of October 1, 2007, the town has an estimated population of 7,894. The total area is 25.77 km².-Geography:...
- YoshinoYoshino, Narais a town located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of September 1, 2007, the town had an estimated population of 9397 and a density of 97.93 persons per km². The total area was 95.65 km².-Geography:...
- Kashihara
Places of interest
- Temples
- Asuka-deraAsuka-dera', also known as ', is a Buddhist temple in Asuka, Nara. Asuka-dera is regarded as one of the oldest in Japan.-Temple complex:A number of records refer to the origin of the temple, such as the Nihongi and Fusō-ryakuki...
- Oka-deraOka-derais a major Buddhist temple in the historic Asuka area of Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its formal name is and is associated with the Shingon-Buzan sect....
, aka Ryūgai-ji - Kansai Kannon PilgrimageKansai Kannon PilgrimageThe is a pilgrimage of thirty-three Buddhist temples throughout the Kansai region of Japan, similar to the Shikoku Pilgrimage. In addition to the official thirty-three temples, there are an additional three known as...
No.7 - Tachibana-dera
- Asuka-dera
- Kameishi (Turtle Rock)
- Ishibutai KofunIshibutai Kofunis a kofun in Asuka, Nara, JapanIshibutai has a rectangular chamber measuring 25 ft by 11 ft by 15 ft high approached by a passage 38 ft in length and roofed by two capstones each weighing between 60 and 70 tons. Modern estimates place the largest stone at approximately 75 tons....
- Kitora KofunKitora TombThe is an ancient tumulus located in the village of Asuka, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The tomb is believed to have been constructed some time between the 7th and early 8th centuries, but was only discovered in 1983....
- Takamatsuzuka KofunTakamatsuzuka TombThe or "Tall Pine Tree Ancient Burial Mound" in Japanese is an ancient circular tomb in Asuka village, Nara prefecture, Japan.The tomb is thought to have been built at some time between the end of the 7th century and the beginning of the 8th century. It was accidentally discovered by a local...
- Amakashinooka