Asuka, center of ancient Japan: Dec. 3-4, 2025

 

I visited the Asuka region in Nara Prefecture  (near Osaka and Kyoto). This area was Japan's political and cultural center from the 6th to 7th centuries, and the basic frameworks of Japan's current national system, including the emperor system, people’s mindset and community structure, was formed in the period. This was my first visit there in about 50 years, since my youth.

The Asuka region is about 20 kilometers south of Nara City, the prefecture’s capital. Its current administrative districts include Asuka Village, Kashihara City, and Sakurai City.

Houses and farmfields spread in the region today. Many kofun or ancient tombs, temples and other historical monuments are scattered in the area.  

Japan's imperial system was established around the 6th century, and several palaces were built in the Asuka region. Power struggles took place between the imperial family and powerful clans.

During this period, many immigrants arrived in Japan from the Korean Peninsula. Buddhism was introduced  in the 6th century.

Many aspects of ancient Japanese history remain unknown, and many debates are being made.

One of the most famous kofun is Ishibutai Tomb (See the top and 2nd photos). This tomb was believed to have been made in the early 7th century. It was once covered in soil, but this was later lost, revealing a horizontal stone chamber. 

It is believed to be the tomb of Soga no Umako, a powerful figure at the time.

Kengoshizuka Tomb was built in the 7th or 8th century and is octagonal. It is likely to be the tomb of Empress Saimei in the mid-6th century. (See the 3re photo)

 

Kofun were constructed throughout Japan between the 3rd and 7th centuries. There are various shapes, including keyhole-shaped, circular, square, and octagonal. 

In the 4th and 5th centuries, large keyhole-shaped tombs were built in the Kinki region (present-day Osaka and Nara), Kyushu, and Hokuriku. (Visit a story of Mozu tombs in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture)

 

Asukadera Temple was Japan's first full-scale temple, built at the end of the 6th century.

 

The Asuka Daibutsu, the principal image or Honzon of the temple, is Japan's oldest Buddhist statue, built in 609 and standing approximately 3 meters tall. It underwent extensive repairs following fires and other damage during the Heian (794-late 12th century) and Kamakura (late 12th century-1333) periods. However, it still conveys the distinctive features of Asuka sculpture.

 

The Asuka Historical Museum displays numerous relics and cultural assets from the Asuka period. The garden displays numerous replicas of stonework, including a stone fountain.

 

Shintoism has been accepted by people in Japan since ancient times. After the introduction of Buddhism in the 6th century, shrines and temples coexisted. In Shinto, it is believed that gods reside in various objects and people worship them.

Omiwa Shrine in Sakurai City enshrines Mount Miwa, which lies behind it.

 

Kashiwara Shrine in Kashihara City was built in the Meiji period to enshrine Japan's first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. According to Japanese mythology, the first emperor died in Kashihara in the 6th century BC. 

His tomb lies nearby.

 

In 710, the emperor moved the capital to Heijo-kyo in Nara City, marking the transition from the Asuka period to the Nara period.