The Nara Period: Japan's First Permanent Capital

Step into the eighth century, when a planned city of broad avenues, great temples and new books shaped the Japan that followed.

Published October 22, 2026 at 1:29 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: The Nara period (710 to 794) began when Empress Genmei established the capital Heijo-kyo, modeled on the Tang Chinese capital Chang'an, at present-day Nara. It is often called Japan's first lasting capital, because the Taiho Code ended the old custom of moving the court after each emperor died. The era gave Japan its earliest surviving histories, a great poetry anthology and the Great Buddha of Todaiji.

Many people know Nara for its friendly deer, but fewer realize the city once stood at the center of a whole nation. The Nara period is the stretch of history when Japan built a planned capital, wrote down its own stories, and welcomed Buddhism into the heart of government. This guide explains why a permanent capital mattered, what the city looked like, which books and temples came from the era, and how visitors can still walk through the same landscape today.

What the Nara period covers

The Nara period is the era from 710 to 794, named after the capital at Nara. It follows the Asuka period and comes before the Heian period, when the court settled in Kyoto. Historians use these labels as convenient chapters rather than sharp walls, so some details of court life continued across the boundaries.

The name refers to the capital's location, but the capital itself was called Heijo-kyo. English Wikipedia notes that Empress Genmei founded it in 710. Its site lies in the northern part of the modern city of Nara.

Why the capital was called permanent

Before 710, the Yamato court had no fixed capital, and the royal residence often moved when a ruler changed. English Wikipedia explains that the Taiho Code ended the custom of relocating the capital after each emperor's death. This legal framework, along with a growing civil service, made it sensible to build a large city meant to last.

The phrase "first permanent capital" is a popular shorthand rather than a strict rule. An earlier capital called Fujiwara-kyo had served the court from 694, and the court moved on again in 784 to Nagaoka-kyo before settling in Heian-kyo, now Kyoto, in 794. Still, Heijo-kyo was a large, carefully planned city with a lasting purpose, and it served as the center of government for most of the eighth century.

A city modeled on Chang'an

Heijo-kyo followed the layout of Chang'an, the capital of Tang China. UNESCO describes a grid of roads, palaces, temples and shrines, with the palace placed at the northern end of a central avenue. English Wikipedia gives the city a size of roughly six kilometers from east to west and five kilometers from north to south, with a main avenue running about 3.7 kilometers to the palace gate.

Using a continental model was a way of showing that Japan could organize itself like a major neighbor. Planners, officials and monks studied Chinese methods of government, record keeping and architecture, then adapted them. The result was a capital that looked outward to the wider Asian world yet developed distinctly Japanese habits over time.

Books that told Japan's story

The Nara period produced the earliest surviving written histories of Japan. The Kojiki was compiled in 712 and the Nihon Shoki followed in 720, according to English Wikipedia. Both collected myths, genealogies and early court history, and both supported the idea of a unified imperial line.

Poetry flourished as well. The Man'yoshu, the oldest major anthology of Japanese poetry, gathers poems mostly composed between about 600 and 759. Its verses range from court celebrations to personal feelings, which is why readers still enjoy it as a window into everyday emotions of the age. Together, these works gave the new capital a shared sense of identity.

Buddhism and the Great Buddha

Buddhism became a pillar of state life during this era. The central government set up provincial temples known as kokubunji across the country, and Todaiji in Nara served as the kokubunji of Yamato Province. Emperor Shomu ordered the Great Buddha to be built in 743, and English Wikipedia reports that it was completed in 752.

The temple's storehouse, the Shoso-in, still holds treasures associated with Emperor Shomu and Empress Shotoku, along with more than ten thousand documents. Because of such survivals, Nara is a rich place for anyone curious about eighth-century craft, trade and daily administration. The Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji has its own guide on this site, so here it is enough to note how central it was to the era.

Law, coins and the court

Alongside temples and poems, the court worked on law. The Taiho Code laid out a system of government modeled on continental practice, and the Yoro Code, a revision of it, was promulgated in 757. These codes defined offices, ranks and duties, giving the capital a framework for running provinces from a distance.

English Wikipedia also notes that coins were minted in this period, though they were not widely used. The Fujiwara clan played a central role in court politics throughout the era, and its influence grew steadily. For a reader new to the period, the key idea is that Nara was the testing ground for a government that later developed fully in Kyoto.

Walking through Nara today

Much of the Nara period can be seen on foot. UNESCO inscribed the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara in 1998. The listing includes eight component parts: Todaiji, Kofuku-ji, Yakushi-ji, Gango-ji, Toshodai-ji, Kasuga Grand Shrine, the Kasugayama Primeval Forest and the Nara Palace Site. UNESCO counts 78 buildings across roughly 617 hectares.

The Kasugayama forest has been protected since 841, which makes it a rare piece of living history. The Nara Palace Site is where the imperial residence and offices once stood, and English Wikipedia reports that the site was designated a Special Historical Site in 1952. Visitors can plan a loop that combines temples, the shrine's forested paths and the palace grounds, but opening hours and fees change, so check each official site before traveling.

The Nara Palace Site up close

The palace at Heijo-kyo served as the imperial residence and administrative center. Today the site is an open historical landscape with reconstructed buildings. The Suzaku Gate, the main southern gate, was reconstructed and opened in 1998, and the First Great Hall of State was reconstructed in a project that ran from 2001 to 2010, according to English Wikipedia.

A museum at the site displays excavation results, with galleries on the palace, its offices and its artifacts. The East Palace Garden has also been restored and opened to the public. Standing in front of the reconstructed gate and looking up the long open ground gives a good feeling for the scale of the capital, even though most of the original buildings are gone.

How Nara connects to later Japan

The Nara period set patterns that lasted. The idea of a written state history, the alliance between court and temples, and a capital as a planned city all echo in later eras. When the court moved to Heian-kyo in 794, it carried many of these ideas along and developed them into the refined court culture of Kyoto.

For travelers, this makes Nara a good first stop before Kyoto, because it shows the starting point of so many familiar things. Temples that were established or moved to Nara in the eighth century still hold services, and festivals tied to the old capital continue through the year. A short walk through the park, shrine and palace grounds can turn a list of dates into something you can feel.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Nara period in Japan?

The Nara period is usually dated from 710 to 794. It began when Empress Genmei established the capital Heijo-kyo at present-day Nara, and it ended when the court moved to Heian-kyo, now Kyoto. The court actually left Nara for Nagaoka-kyo in 784, so some sources give the earlier end date.

Why is Nara called Japan's first permanent capital?

Before 710 the court tended to relocate after an emperor's death. The Taiho Code ended that custom, and Heijo-kyo was built as a large planned city intended to last. Earlier capitals such as Fujiwara-kyo existed, so the phrase is best read as a popular shorthand for the first capital meant to last.

What can visitors see from the Nara period today?

Visitors can see Todaiji with its Great Buddha, Kasuga Grand Shrine, Kofuku-ji, Yakushi-ji and other temples, along with the Nara Palace Site. UNESCO lists eight of these places together as the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara. Opening hours and entry fees vary, so confirm them on each official site.

Further Reading

To explore further, see Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (UNESCO World Heritage Centre), Nara period (English Wikipedia) and Heijo Palace (English Wikipedia).

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Todaiji: Nara's Great Buddha Hall, Naramachi and Kofukuji: Nara's Old Town and Five-Story Pagoda and Kojiki: The Ancient Book of Japanese Myths.