The is a historical museum in Okuyama,

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

Nara Prefecture is a 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 northwest, Wakayam ...

, 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. Est ...

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 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after ...

(538–710) of

Japanese history The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC when new inventi ...

. Its collection also includes materials from the late Kofun period (250–538) and

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 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 c ...

(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'') of the Asuka period of the early Japanese state—the Yamato polity—and played a major role in the spread of Buddhism. Through the 5th and 7th centuries, the Soga monopolized ...

, along with

Asuka-dera , also known as , is a Buddhist temple in Asuka, Nara. Asuka-dera is regarded as one of the oldest temples in Japan. Temple complex A number of records refer to the origin of the temple, such as the '' Nihongi'' and ''Fusō-ryakuki''. The o ...

Kawara-dera was a Buddhist temple established during the Asuka period in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Excavations have revealed a large-scale complex which included two kondō, a pagoda, extensive priests' quarters, and roof tiles that are "among the most ...

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

Yamada-dera was a Buddhist temple established in the Asuka period in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The area has been designated a Special Historic Site and forms part of a grouping of sites submitted in 2007 for future inscription on the UNESCO World H ...

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. Umako conducted political reforms with Prince Shōtoku during the rules of Emperor Bidatsu and Empress Suiko and established the Soga clan's stronghold in the go ...

(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'' means refined, well cultivated taste and delight in elegant pursuits and refers to enjoyment of the exquisitely performed tea ceremony. The word originally denoted a building in ...

'' 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 is a train station located in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is on Kintetsu Kashihara Line, Minami Osaka Line and Yoshino Lines. It is one of the major stations on the Kintetsu lines and all trains in service stop at this station. Th ...

Kintetsu ''Kintetsu'' is the abbreviation of , or Kintetsu Railway, a Japanese railway corporation. It may also refer to: Companies * Kintetsu Group Holdings, the holding corporation of the Kintetsu Railway ** Kintetsu Bus, a bus company and a subsidiary ...

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 and L ...

Minami Osaka Line is a railway line operated by Kintetsu Railway connecting in Osaka and in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture via Osaka's southern suburb cities of Matsubara, Fujiidera and Habikino in Osaka Prefecture, and Katsuragi and Yamato-Takada in Nara Pref ...

and Yoshino Lines *

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, On ...

on the Yoshino Line * 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, and i ...

Man-yō Mahoroba Line and Kintetsu

Osaka Line is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

Yamato-Yagi Station is a railway station on Kintetsu Kashihara Line and Osaka Lines in Kashihara, Nara, Japan, operated by Kintetsu Railway. It is a major station on the lines to and from Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, and Nagoya. Lines Yamato-Yagi Station is served by the ...

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