Nara (奈良市 Nara-shi, kota Nara) adalah ibu kota Prefektur Nara. Kota ini terletak di bagian utara Prefektur Nara, dan berbatasan dengan Prefektur Kyoto. Nara merupakan salah satu kota wisata yang ramai di Jepang.
Monumen Historis Nara Kuno adalah sebutan untuk 7 bangunan kuil Buddha dan Shinto, reruntuhan Istana Heijō, dan Hutan Kasugayama yang merupakan Situs Warisan Dunia UNESCO. Ketujuh bangunan kuil tersebut adalah Tōdai-ji, Saidai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Shrine,Gangō-ji, Yakushi-ji, Tōshōdai-ji.
Di zaman Nara, ibu kota Jepang yang bernama Heijō-kyō berada di wilayah kota Nara yang sekarang. Heijō-kyō merupakan kota tujuan akhir Jalan Sutra di Jepang, sekaligus tempat berkembangnya Kebudayaan Tempyō yang berpusat pada agama Buddha dan kalangan aristokrat.
Sejarah
Di wilayah kota bagian barat terdapat sejumlah makam kuno berukuran besar asal abad ke-5. Di antara makam kuno yang terletak di kota Nara adalah makam kuno Uwanabe yang membentuk gugus makam kuno Saki. Catatan sejarah tahun 710 menceritakan kepindahan ibu kota Jepang dari Fujiwara-kyō ke Heian-kyō di wilayah kota yang sekarang dikenal sebagai Nara. Setelah itu, ibu kota Jepang mengalami beberapa kali perpindahan hingga akhirnya ibu kota berada Nagaoka-kyō. Setelah ibu kota pindah ke Nagaoka-kyō, kuil Tōdai-ji dan Kōfuku-ji di Nara tetap merupakan kekuatan politik yang berpengaruh, sehingga Nara disebut sebagai ibu kota selatan (Nantō).
Memasuki abad pertengahan, kuil Kōfuku-ji ditunjuk sebagai penjaga wilayah (shugo) Provinsi Yamato. Pada waktu itu, kuil Buddha dan Shinto di Nara memiliki tanah yang luas dalam sistem tuan tanah feodal, dan bertahan sebagai kekuatan politik. Dibandingkan dengan perannya di masa damai, kuil-kuil di kota Nara justru merupakan kekuatan besar di masa perang. Akibatnya, kuil-kuil di kota Nara berkali-kali menjadi sasaran pembakaran. Patung Buddha Agung di Tōdai-ji bahkan sempat hangus terbakar hingga dua kali.
Sepanjang zaman Muromachi hingga zaman Sengoku, kekuatan politik dan militer kuil-kuil di kota Nara berhasil ditekan oleh penguasa militer dari kalangan samurai. Di zaman Edo, Nara dijadikan wilayah kekuasaan langsung Keshogunan Tokugawa. Hingga sekarang, sisa-sisa peninggalan zaman Edo masih bisa dilihat di wilayah kota bernama Naramachi. Pada masa itu, bagian timur laut wilayah kota Nara disebut Yagyū-han, karena merupakan wilayah kekuasan (han) keluarga Yagyū.
Geografi
Kota yang sekarang disebut Nara terletak di sebelah utara Prefektur Nara, tepatnya di ujung utara wilayah Lembah Sungai Nara. Bagian timur kota terletak di Dataran Tinggi Yamato yang memiliki ketinggian antara 300-600 meter di atas permukaan laut. Bagian utara kota merupakan kawasan bergunung-gunung yang di zaman kuno disebut Gunung Nara (Narayama), dan berbatasan dengan Prefektur Kyoto.
Wilayah kota Nara membentang dari barat ke timur. Wilayah kota bagian timur terletak di antara dua pegunungan, sedangkan permukiman penduduk terdapat di wilayah kota sebelah barat. Peninggalan bersejarah banyak terdapat di bagian tengah hingga timur kota. Kota Nara dialiri Sungai Saho, Sungai Tomio, Sungai Yamato, dan Sungai Kizu.
Di zaman dulu, aksara kanji yang digunakan untuk menulis kata "Nara" adalah 那羅, 寧楽, atau 平城. Salah satu alasan kota ini diberi nama "Nara" adalah wilayah kota yang terlihat datar (narashita youna). Penjelasan lain mengatakan nama kota ini berasal dari kata "Nara" dalam bahasa Korea yang berarti negara atau kampung.
Tersedia dalam bahasa Inggris juga :3 (emang buku apa?) *tendang*
| Nara 奈良 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Core city — | |||
| 奈良市 · Nara City | |||
 | |||
| |||
 | |||
  Nara | |||
| Coordinates: 34°41′N 135°48′E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kansai | ||
| Prefecture | Nara Prefecture | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Gen Nakagawa | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 276.84 km2 (106.9 sq mi) | ||
| Population (January 1, 2010) | |||
| - Total | 368,636 | ||
| - Density | 1,331.58/km2 (3,448.8/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time(UTC+9) | ||
| City symbols | |||
| - Tree | Quercus gilva | ||
| - Flower | Nara yaezakura | ||
| - Bird | Japanese Bush Warbler | ||
| Phone number | 0742-34-1111 | ||
| Address | 1-1-1 Nijō-ōji, Nara-shi, Nara-ken 630-8580 | ||
History
See also: Nara Prefecture#History, Nara period, and Heijo Palace
for pre-modern history of Nara
Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784, lending its name to the Nara period. The original city, Heijō-kyō, was modelled after the capital of Baekje Dynasty Korea,Wiryeseong(present-day Seoul).[1] According to the ancient Japanese book Nihon Shoki, the name "Nara" derived from the Japanese word narashita meaning "made flat".[2][3]The word nara comes from the Baekje word for nation.[4]
The temples of Nara remained powerful even beyond the move of the political capital toHeian-kyō in 794, thus giving Nara a synonym of Nanto (南都 "The Southern Capital").
In 2010, Nara celebrated the 1,300th anniversary of its ascension as Japan's imperial capital.[5]
Modern Nara
In the modern age, as the seat of the prefectural government, Nara has developed into a local center of commerce and government. The city was officially incorporated on February 1, 1898.
| Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara * | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Japan |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, iv, vi |
| Reference | 870 |
| Region ** | Asia-Pacific |
Geography
The city of Nara lies in the north end of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering itself to Kyoto Prefecture in its north side. The city is 22.22 km from North to South, from East to West. As a result of the latest merger, effective April 1, 2005, that combined the villages of Tsuge andTsukigase with the city of Nara, the city now borders Mie Prefecture directly to its east. The total area is 276.84 km².[6]
The downtown of Nara is on the east side of the ancient Heijō Palace site, occupying the northern part of what was called the Gekyō (外京), literally the outer capital area. Many of the public offices (e.g. the Municipal office, the Nara Prefectural government, the Nara Police headquarters, etc.) are located on Nijō-ōji (二条大路), while Nara branch offices of major nationwide banks are on Sanjō-ōji (三条大路), with both avenues running east-west.
The highest point in the city is at the peak of Kaigahira-yama, alt.822.0 m (2,696.85 ft) (Tsugehayama-cho district), and the lowest is in Ikeda-cho district, with an altitude of 56.4 m (185.04 ft).[7]
Climate
The climate of Nara Prefecture is generally temperate, although there are notable differences between the north-western basin area and the rest of the prefecture which is more mountainous.
The basin area climate has an inland characteristic, as represented in the higher daily temperature variance, and the difference between summer and winter temperatures. Winter temperatures average approximately 3 to 5 °C (
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The climate in the rest of the prefecture is that of higher elevations especially in the south, with −5 °C (23 °F) being the extreme minimum in winter. Heavy rainfall is often observed in summer. The annual accumulated rainfall ranges as much as 3,000 to 5,000 mm (118.11 to 196.85 in), which is among the heaviest in Japan.
Spring and fall temperatures are temperate and comfortable. The mountainous region of Yoshino has been long popular for viewing cherry blossoms in the spring. In autumn, the southern mountains are also a popular destination for viewing fall foliage.
| Nara, 2008 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average °C | 3.8 | 4.3 | 7.3 | 13.5 | 18.0 | 21.9 | 26.1 | 27.1 | 23.0 | 16.6 | 11.0 | 6.6 | 15.0 |
| Rainfall (mm) | 54.0 | 67.5 | 102.5 | 134.5 | 213.0 | 144.5 | 91.0 | 162.5 | 163.5 | 71.5 | 54.5 | 41.5 | 1300.5 |
Demographics
As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 373,189 and a population density of 1,348 persons per km². There were 147,966 households residing in Nara. The highest concentraton of both households and population, respectively about 46,000 and 125,000, is found along the newer bedtown districts, along the Kintetsu line connecting to Osaka. There were about 3,000 registered foreigners in the city, of which Koreans and Chinese are the two largest groups with about 1,200 and 800 people respectively. There were slightly fewer than 1,200 deer in Nara in 2005.
Landmarks
- Buddhist temples
- Shinto shrines
- Former imperial palace
- Others
Deer in Nara
According to the legendary history of Kasuga Shrine, a mythological god Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijō-kyō. Since then the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city and the country.[9]
Tame deer roam through the town, especially in Nara Park. Snack vendors sell "shika sembei" (deer biscuits) to visitors so they can enjoy feeding the deer. Some of the deer have learned to bow in response to tourists' bows.[citation needed] They nudge, jostle, and even bite for food.
Education
As of 2005, there are 16 high schools and 6 universities located in the city of Nara.
Universities
Nara Women's University is one of only two national women's universities in Japan.
Primary and secondary education
Public schools
Public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the city of Nara.
Public high schools are operated by the Nara Prefecture.
Private schools
Private high schools in Nara include the Todaiji Gakuen, a private school founded by the temple in 1926.
Gallery
Sumber: wikipedia
Gimana? Bagus engga? Keren kan? Iyalah, pilihan Oreo emang selalu keren! #pede *plak* XD
Kalo gitu sampe ketemu lagi! Huaaaammmm :'0
Best regard, Reocchi~ :D
