is a city located in Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using ...

of 58,386, and 24,629 households. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

is , and the total area is .

History

Sakurai was briefly the capital of Japan during the reign of Emperor Yūryaku. The life of the Imperial court was centered at ''Hatsuse no Asakura'' Palace where the emperor lived in 457–479.Koch, W. (1904)
''Japan; Geschichte nach japanischen Quellen und ethnographische Skizzen. Mit einem Stammbaum des Kaisers von Japan,'' p. 13
Other emperors also built palaces in the area, including * ''Iware no Mikakuri'' Palace, 480–484 in reign of Emperor Seinei * ''Nimiki'' Palace, 499–506 in reign of Emperor Buretsu * ''Iware no Tamaho'' Palace, 526–532 in reign of Emperor Keitai * ''Hinokuma no Iorino'' Palace, 535-539 in reign of Emperor Senka * ''Osata no Sakitama'' Palace or ''Osada no Miya'', 572–585 in reign of Emperor BidatsuPonsonby-Fane, p. 18. The modern city was founded on September 1, 1956. Sakurai is home to Ōmiwa Shrine, traditionally considered one of the oldest

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...

shrines in Japan dedicated to the god of sake. Sake dealers across Japan often hang a wooden sugi ball, made at Ōmiwa Shrine, as a talisman to the god of sake. It was featured in Yukio Mishima's novel '' Runaway Horses''.

Famous places

* Buddhist temples ** Miwasanbyōdō-ji ** Hase-dera ** Asuka-dera ** Tachibana-dera ** Abe Monju-in ** Seirin-ji *

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more '' kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, mean ...

s ** Ōmiwa Shrine ** Tanzan Shrine ** Kasayamakō Shrine ** Tamatsura Shrine

Transportation

Rail

* West Japan Railway Company ** Sakurai Line (Man-yō Mahoroba Line): Makimuku Station - Miwa Station - Sakurai Station * Kintetsu Railway ** Osaka Line: Daifuku Station - Sakurai Station -

Yamato-Asakura Station is a railway station in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Line *Kintetsu Railway ** Osaka Line Layout The station has two island platform An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a sin ...

- Hasedera Station

Road

Japan National Route 165 * Japanese National Route Sign 0166

Japan National Route 166 * Japanese National Route Sign 0169

Japan National Route 169

Sister cities

In Japan

* Kumano, Mie *

Taisha, Shimane is a town located in Hikawa District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 15,733 and a density of 376.39 persons per km2. The total area was 41.80 km2. On March 22, 2005, Taisha, along with t ...

Outside Japan

* Chartres, France.

References

External links

*
Sakurai City official website (in English)
* Cities in Nara Prefecture Former capitals of Japan {{Nara-geo-stub