The emergence of the national Capital of Japan on the site of Nara city is documented in the excavations still underway in and around this modern bustling city of 300.000+ citizens    The bustling streets of todays city were planned and laid out 1,200 years ago and the 200,000+ citizens of Heijo Kyo (ancient Nara) persued their business and that of the Governmet of the day.  The Palace and its Soverign Emperor (Tenno) or Empress (Kogo) came to be the focus of a bustling Capital of a unified Japanese Nation. The central Ritsuryo System of government developed diplomatic and economic ties to neighbouring nations and promoted internal trade and taxes and penal laws and links to all its provinces.
    Local clan rule was gradually replaced by allegiance to the National code which offered the benefits of prestige and recognition at court to a far wider and much expanded 'aristocracy' which expanded to include not only the time honoured clans related to the rulers clan, but also the emerging 'newly rich' families whose fortunes grew from the increased trade, commerce and industrialisation that resulted from international delegations, the initiatives of the Tenno clan.
    The process of developing this nation state is documented in the history of the Asuka period under excavation in and around Nara Ken.  It truely is a remarkable story of cultural assimilation, involving migration of tens of thousands both within and from outside the borders.

        TIME LINE OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS DURING ASUKA PERIOD (522-710)
 

No.	SOVEREIGN	RE-	IGN	DETAILS	YEAR
29	KINMEI	539	571	King Seimei of Kudara (Paekche) introduces Buddhism to Soga	538
				Global 10 year volcanic 'hidden sun' winter = "starving of cold"	540
30	BIDATSU	572	585	Married half sister Suiko. Iname Soga was grandfather of both.	572
31	YOUMEI	585	587	Umako Soga defeats Mononobe	587
32	SUSHUN	587	592	Umako completes Asuka dera Ist full scale Temple	588
				Umako orders suicide of Sushun	592
33	SUIKO	592	628	Shotoku Taishi 574-622 begins as regent	592
				Toyura Palace Royal residence Asuka	592
				12 rank official title system established	603
				Ohirada Palace Royal residence Asuka	603
				Shotoku Taishi - 17 Article Constitution - Kan'junikai	604
				Census shows 46 temples 816 monks 569 nuns	624
34	JYOMEI	629	641	Umako's son Emishi forced accessuion of Jomei	629
				First embassy to Tang China	630
				Asuka Okamoto Palace as Royal residence	630
				Tang China began hostilities v Koguryuo Japan's Ally in Korea	631
				Tanaka Palace as Royal residence Asuka	636
				Umayasaka Palace as Royal residence Asuka	640
				Kudara Palace as Royal residence Koryo Cho Nara Ken	640
35	KOUGYOKU*	642	645	Iruka Soga kills Pr Yamashiro contender for throne	643
				Asuka Itabuki Palace as Royal residence	643
36	KOUTOKU	645	654	Taika begins: Sogas defeated by Oe & Nakatoni	645
				Naniwa Nagara Toyosaki Palace as Royal residence Osaka	645
				Taika Reforms Proclaimed (12 then 19 Ranks 649)	646
				Ishikawamaro Soga suicides,Yamadadera ujidera	649
37	SAIMEI*	655	661	Asuka Okamoto Palace as Royal residence	655
				Asuka Kawara Palace as Royal residence	655
				Nochi Asuka Okamoto Palace as Royal residence	656
				Pr Arima suspected of treason, eliminated.	658
				Asakura Tachibana Palace as Royal residence Fukuoka	661
				Empress dies in Kyushu rallying troops	661
				Hakusukinoe Kudara/Japan naval defeat by Tang/Silla	663
				Omi-Otsu Palace, Shiga Ken Otsu Shi	667
38	TENJI	668	671	Pr Naka no Oe officially assumes throne	668
				Koguryo defeated by Silla/Tang alliance in Korea	668
39	KOUBAN	672	672	Jinshin revolt Pr Otomo defeated by uncle Pr Oama	672
40	TENMU	673	686	Returned to Asuka from Naniwa absent 27yrs	672
				Asuka Shima Palace as Royal residence	672
				Asuka Okamoto Palace as Royal residence	672
				Asuka Kiyomihara Palace as Royal residence	672
				Silla unifies Korea, Japan disengages	676
				Use of coins to spur economy ordered bt government	683
				Yakusa no Kabane 8 court ranks, omi & muraji down	684
				Pr Otsu 'must depart into hiding with the clouds'	686
				Asuka Kiyomihara Code ritsu/ryo criminal/admini.	689
41	JITO	690	697	Manyoshu 159/60 the sleeves.. have no time to dry	690
				Fujiwara Kyo Palace as Royal residence	694
42	MOMMU	697	707	At 14y 1st son of Genmei mother 22yo at his birth	697
				Moto Yakushuji western precinct (Daikandaiji east)	698
				First written cremation record refers to Priest Dosho	700
				Taiho Code: Emperor head of risuryo state Kokugun	701
				Mommu plans to move Capital to NW Heijyo	706
43	GENMEI	708	714	Wado Kaiho minted after Tang mist of 621	408
	{ NARA			Move to HeijyoKyo Palace in spring Man'yoshu 78	710
	PERIOD }			Heijyo Kyo Palace as Royal residence	710
44	GENSHO	715	723	At 35y eldest child of Genmei mother 19 @ her birth	715
45	SHOMU	724	748	(See Nara period link for details)
46	KOKEN	749	758

        Kagome kagome .... the words of a childrens song from Japan that may have been used over the centuries to help the Children of the Imperial Household understand their situation.  The emperor was held like a bird in a gilded cage as the guest of the reagent of the time.  The Miya or Palace held the descendent of the Sun and whoever controlled the palace held power.  Early in the Asuka Period the Palace Cage was held by local Soga Clan leaders.   They were simple, small structures built in the clan leaders territory, a sort of a 'backyard birdcage'.  Traditionally the palace had been surrounded and supported by a group of clans historically associated with the Tenno who assisted him in the heroic age of the descent of the God's.  Shinto establised and maintained their position in the clan society and their ongoing role of service to the Heavenly Ruler.  Soga initiated the introduction of Buddism which was seen as an affront to the Shinto Kami (Gods) by the traditional clans.  The Mononobe warrior clan was eliminated by Soga for persisting in rejecting the new Religion. On its recommendation the Buddist images had been thrown into a canal.
    A clean new palace free of the Ghosts of the past or the Spirits of the dead was built for each new Soverign.  Shinto, "The Way of the Gods" or Gods' Pathway required extreme care about clean environments, not only physical but spiritual and mental as well.  In the western tradition this is expresed in the saying "Cleanliness is next to Godliness".

    Each Soverign moved into a new Palace (Miya) for physical and mental illness could be caused by dirty or cloudy spiritual surroundings.
 

587 Umako Soga defeats Mononobe
    Civil War broke out in 587 between the forces of the Soga Clan and the disenting Mononobe Clan.   A decisive victory to the forces supporting the introduction of Buddhism left Soga in control of the succession of the Emperor.
 

The following year 588 the first full scale Buddhist temple was completed.  It was originally a great temple covering an area some 200m x 200m with three golden halls clustered around a central pagoda.

663 Hakusukinoe Kudara/Japan naval defeat by Tang/Silla
On the Korean peninsula the tide of war was ebbing in favor.