Nara, Nara

Nara (奈良市, Nara-shi) is a city in Japan on the island of Honshu. It is the capital city of Nara Prefecture.^[1]

Nara 奈良市
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
Flag Symbol
Location of Nara in Nara Prefecture
Nara Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°41′N 135°48′E
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Nara Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Gen Nakagawa
Area
• Total	276.84 km2 (106.89 sq mi)
Population  (April 1, 2017)
• Total	359,666
• Density	1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Quercus gilva
• Flower	Nara yaezakura
• Bird	Japanese bush warbler
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City hall address	1-1-1 Nijō-ōji, Nara-shi, Nara-ken 630-8580
Website	www.city.nara.lg.jp

Nara
"Nara" in kanji
Japanese name
Kanji	奈良
Hiragana	なら
Transcriptions Romanization Nara

It has been recognized as a core city since 2002.^[2]

History

Many of the temples, shrines and ruins in Nara form "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara". It is one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[3] It includes

• Tōdai-ji^[3]
• Kōfuku-ji^[3]
• Kasuga taisha^[3]
• Gangō-ji^[3]
• Yakushi-ji^[3]
• Tōshōdai-ji^[3]
• Heijō Palace^[3]

The Kasugayama old-groth forest is also identified as a world heritage site.^[3]

On 8 July 2022, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot while giving a campaign speech in Nara.

Geography

The city is in the northern part of Nara Prefecture. It is on the border with Kyoto Prefecture.