About This Department (Heijō)

　There are two sites in the Nara basin, the Nara (Heijō) and the Fujiwara capitals, that are ancient cities referred to as tojō. The original meaning of tojō, a Chinese term, was a capital enclosed by a wall. In China, walled capitals had already appeared by the time of the Shang dynasty, around 1,800 BCE. In Japan the first capital was built in the latter half of the seventh century. Fujiwara was a true capital city with a rectangular horizontal plan, although some theories hold that immediately preceding it the Asuka district served as an irregularly-shaped capital.
　The story of the emergence of the capital city and its subsequent change in Japan must be studied as an important thread in the history of the state's establishment, in the midst of the turbulent East Asian world from the seventh into the eighth centuries, and constitutes a major topic for research in ancient history.
　Nara was the nation's capital for 74 years, from 710 to 784. Since Excavation No. 1 at the Nara palace site was conducted in 1965, on part of the roofed gallery of what would later be understood as the Second Imperial Audience Hall Compound, the Department of Imperial Palace Sites Investigations (Heijō) has conducted excavations in and around the Nara capital more than 1,000 times up to March 2010.
　In the conduct of an excavation, researchers with the Institute in the various fields of archaeology, documentary history, architectural history, garden history, plus fields of archaeology science such as conservation science, dendrochronology, and environmental archaeology, join together in the task of elucidating the nature of the site.
　Research on the capitals that were the political centers for the period in which the Japanese state took shape holds a vital place in the illumination of ancient history. While the research results which have accumulated thus far are numerous, these research activities are highly rated both domestically and abroad. In the area of international cultural cooperation as well, which has been emphasized in recent years, many contributions are being realized through utilization of the knowledge and techniques accumulated during investigations of ancient capital cities, such as the Nara capital.

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About This Department (Asuka/Fujiwara)

　The Asuka/Fujiwara region of Nara prefecture, extending from the village of Asuka to the city of Kashihara, was the historic setting for the emergence of the ancient Japanese state, and served as the political, economic, and cultural center from the end of the sixth to the first part of the eighth centuries. Accordingly, a variety of archaeological remains lie dormant beneath the ground, including imperial palaces and the residences of elite families, the sites of numerous temples including Asukadera, the oldest cloistered Buddhist temple in Japan, plus the remains of tombs, the earthen podium of a water clock, and a workshop complex for the production craft items. Also, in the northern half of this region lies the Fujiwara capital, built on a rectangular grid spreading out five kilometers on a side and centering on the Fujiwara palace, located in the center of the capital and containing the emperor's residence, along with halls where ceremonies of state were conducted.
　Through the excavation of these sites, interdisciplinary investigations are conducted by the Department with the aim of reconstructing a concrete historic image of the ancient state. In addition to making these results publically available through public viewings at excavations, publication of research results, exhibitions at its main facility, the Department is also in charge of the preservation of these sites and utilization for the public benefit.

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Staff

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