Sakurai, Nara

is a Japanese city in Nara Prefecture on the island of Honshū.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Omiwa-jinja" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 751.

History
Sakurai is home to Ōmiwa Shrine.  It is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan.

The shrine is linked with brewing sake.Gautner, John.  "Heart and soul of sake in the breweries of Nara," Japan Times, February 22, 2001; retrieved 2012-5-2.

According to tradition, Sakurai was sometimes the site of an Imperial Palace,Koch, W. (1904).  Japan; Geschichte nach japanischen Quellen und ethnographische Skizzen. Mit einem Stammbaum des Kaisers von Japan, p. 13.  including
 Hatsuse no Asakura Palace during the reign of Emperor Yūryaku
 Iware no Mikakuri Palace during the reign of Emperor Seinei
 Hatsuse no Minaki Palace during the reign of Emperor Buretsu
 Iware no Tamaho Palace during the reign of Emperor Keitai
 Hinokuma no Iorino Palace during the reign of Emperor Senka
 Osata no Sakitama Palace or Osada no Miya during the reign of Emperor BidatsuBrown, Delmer. (1979).  Gukanshō, pp. 262-263; excerpt, "... palace was Osada no Miya of Iware in the province of Yamato."

Sakurai is part of Yukio Mishima's novel, Runaway Horses.

Related pages
 Capital of Japan

 References

Other websites

 Sakurai City website 

Category:Cities in Nara Prefecture
Category:Former capitals of Japan