Nara 奈良市 |
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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
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Location of Nara in Nara Prefecture |
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Location in Japan | ||
Coordinates: 34°41′N 135°48′E / 34.683°N 135.800°ECoordinates: 34°41′N 135°48′E / 34.683°N 135.800°E | ||
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 |
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Website | www |
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara | |
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Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
Location | Japan |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | ii, iii, iv, vi |
Reference | 870 |
UNESCO region | Asia-Pacific |
Inscription history | |
Inscription | 1998 (22nd Session) |
Nara (奈良市 Nara-shi?, Japanese: [náꜜrà]) 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.
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.