Nara was the glorious capital, "like a fragrant flower in full bloom,"
as an ancient poet once described it. Nara was the cradle of the great
Japanese arts and the essence of culture in the long-ago Tempyo Period.
The old, world-famous temples and shrines of the province of Yamato (presently
Nara Prefecture) have handed down to us their precious history. Among others,
the cathedrals of Todaiji, Kofukuji, Yakushiji, Toshodaiji and the Kasuga
Grand Shrine are settings where one can encounter the rich, elegant ambience
of the Tempyo Culture. As you go through the corridors, and glance at the
tiled roofs of these cathedrals, the Tempyo Culture will make you forget
all about time and space, and will whisper to you about the old days of
well over a thousand years as though they were yesterday.
