Nara period

The  is a time in the history of Japan which lasted from 710 to 794.  This grouping of years is named after city of Nara.Library of Congress Country Studies, Japan,"Nara and Heian Periods"; retrieved 2011-11-22.

History
In 710, Empress Gemmei established the capital of Japan at Heijō-kyō, which is present-day Nara.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 56.  Gemmei's palace was named Nara-no-miya.  Except for two brief times, the reigns of the next seven monarchs were centered in the palace which was built by Gemmei.

The capital at Nara was modeled after Chang'an, the capital city of Tang China.Ellington, Lucien. (2009). Japan, p. 28.  The Nara period was marked by the introduction of Tang systems and culture.

Timeline
 710 (Wadō 3): Japan's capital city was established in Nara (Heijō-kyō).
 712 (Wadō 5): The Kojiki was finished.
 720 (Yōrō 4): Nihon Shoki completed.
 749-752 (Tenpyō-shōhō 1-4): Emperor Shōmu orders the creation of a large statue of Buddha (Daibutsu) at Tōdai-ji
 760 (Tenpyō-hōji 4): Man'yōshū completed.
 784 (Enryaku 3): The emperor moves the capital to Nagaoka
 788 (Enryaku 7): The Buddhist monk Saichō establishes a monastery on Mt Hiei
 December 17, 794 (Enryaku 13, 21st day of the 10th month): The Emperor moves by carriage in a grand procession from Nara to Heian-kyō.

Related pages
 List of Japanese eras

References

Other websites

 Metropolitan Museum of Art,  Asuka and Nara Periods (538–794)
 British Museum, Nara period (AD 710-794) 
 Japan-guide.com, Nara and Heian Periods (710 - 1185)

Category:Periods in Japanese history