奈良
Nara
奈良 · なら
Prefecture
Kinki
Kanji Literal Meaning
"Leveled Land"
True Etymology
The name is derived from the verb 'ならす' (narasu), meaning 'to level' or 'to flatten.' The Nara basin was cleared and flattened to establish the ancient capital Heijōkyō in 710 CE. The act of leveling land for the capital gave the city—and later the prefecture—its name.
Alternative Theory
A second theory connects 'Nara' to an ancient Korean or continental Asian word for 'country' or 'land,' suggesting the name predates the capital's establishment and reflects the area's early cultural connections with the Korean peninsula.
Key Facts
| Capital | Nara City |
|---|---|
| Region | Kinki |
| Reading | なら |
| Pre-Meiji Domains | Yamato Kōriyama Domain, Yanagimoto Domain |
| Domain Lords | Yanagisawa clan (柳沢氏), Kashiwagi clan (柏木氏) |
| Established | 1871-present |