The is a historical museum in Okuyama,

Asuka Asuka may refer to: People * Asuka (name), a list of people * Asuka (wrestler) (born 1981), professional wrestler * Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan Places In Japan * , an area in Yamato Pro ...

Nara Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...

, Japan. The museum was founded in 1975 and is a unit of the

Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties The , also known by its former name, the Nara Research Institute for Cultural Properties, is one of two research institutes that comprise the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, an independent administrative institution created in 2001. Es ...

Collections

The Asuka Historical Museum primarily preserves and exhibits materials from the 6th to 8th centuries, specifically from the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...

(538–710) of

Japanese history The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC when ...

. Its collection also includes materials from the late

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

(250–538) and

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...

(710–794). Unlike other regional museums which house well-known materials from the early periods of Japanese history, Asuka Historical Museum exhibits materials from recent, local excavations. The Asuka Historical Museum is a repository of materials excavated by the Department of Imperial Palace Sites Investigations of the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. Its collections center on materials from the

Fujiwara Fujiwara (, written: 藤原 lit. "''Wisteria'' field") is a Japanese surname. (In English conversation it is likely to be rendered as .) Notable people with the surname include: ; Families * The Fujiwara clan and its members ** Fujiwara no Kamatari ...

, and Heijō palaces.

Exhibits

The Asuka Historical Museum houses regular exhibits in two halls. Exhibit Hall 1 focuses on materials associated with the Asuka Palace and the

Soga clan The was one of the most powerful aristocratic kin groups Uji (clan), (''uji'') of the Asuka period of the early Japanese state—the Yamato period, Yamato polity—and played a major role in the spread of Buddhism in Japan. Through the 5th and ...

, along with

Asuka-dera , also known as , is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Asuka, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It currently belongs to the Shingon-shū Buzan-ha sect. Asuka-dera is regarded as one of the oldest temples in Japan. Its precincts were designat ...

, Kawara-dera, and the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora tumuli. Exhibit Hall 2 features excavated materials from the

Yamada-dera file:210401 Model of the garan of Yamada-dera seen from east side.jpg, 290px, Model of Yamada-dera Temple at the time of its construction. A part of the 1/1000 model of Fujiwara-kyo in the Kashihara-shi Fujiwara-kyo reference room. was a Buddhist ...

cloister, which was built by Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawamaro (d. 649), a grandson of

Soga no Umako was the son of Soga no Iname and a member of the powerful Soga clan of Japan. Conflicting evidence has suggested that Soga no Umako was actually an emperor during the Asuka period. Umako conducted political reforms with Prince Shōtoku during t ...

(551?– 626). The gardens of the museum house reproductions of large-scale rock carvings and statues from the Asuka period. Special exhibits are held in the spring and fall, and the museum has a small library.

Facility

The museum facility is a concrete structure built in the ''

sukiya-zukuri is one type of Japanese residential architectural style. ''Suki'' (Ateji: 数寄 or 数奇) means refined, well cultivated taste and delight in elegant pursuits, and refers to enjoyment of the exquisitely performed tea ceremony. The word origi ...

'' Japanese residential architectural style. The museum, along with other institutes and historical sites related to the Asuka period, is included in the of the Asuka Historical National Government Park.

Publications

Like other units of the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, the Asuka Historical Museum publishes exhibition catalogs and technical reports on museum research. The museum has published the monographic series since 1973, prior to the official opening of the museum.

Transportation

The Asuka Historical Museum is accessible by bus from numerous train stations: * Kashiharajingū-mae Station on Kintetsu

Kashihara Line The is a north-south bound railway line in Nara Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the Kintetsu Railway, a private railway operator. It connects Yamato-Saidaiji Station and Kashiharajingu-mae Station. Service outline Most Express an ...

Minami Osaka Line is a railway line operated by Kintetsu Railway. It runs between in Osaka and in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture. The line connects Osaka to southern part of the Nara Basin, running through Osaka's southern suburb cities of Matsubara, Fujiidera ...

and

Yoshino Line The is a railway line in Nara Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Kintetsu Railway. It connects in Kashihara and in Yoshino. All Express and Limited Express trains continue to and from Ōsaka Abenobashi Station on the ...

s *

Asuka Station is a railway station located in Asuka, Takaichi, Nara, Japan, on the Kintetsu Railway Yoshino Line. Lines * Kintetsu Railway ** Yoshino Line Platforms and tracks Surroundings * *Takamatsuzuka Tomb *Ishibutai Kofun *Oni no Manaita, Oni ...

on the

* Nara Sakurai Station on

JR-West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

Man-yō Mahoroba Line and Kintetsu

Osaka Line The is a railway line in Japan owned by Kintetsu Railway, connecting Osaka and Mie Prefecture via Nara Prefecture. The line is the longest double-tracked railway of non-JR operators. Together with the Nagoya Line, this line forms the route for ...

Yamato-Yagi Station is a junction passenger railway station located in the city of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the private transportation company, Kintetsu Railway. It is the only Kintetsu station with an intersection that is not served b ...

on the

References

External links

Asuka Historical Museum
{{authority control Archaeological museums in Japan Museums in Nara Prefecture Museums established in 1975 1975 establishments in Japan Tourist attractions in Nara Prefecture Asuka, Nara