Nara: The First Permanent Capital, Deer, and Characters Chosen for Sound
Nara is an ancient city and the first permanent capital of Japan: from 710 until nearly the end of the 8th century, the imperial court was located here. At that time, Japan was just building a centralized state modeled on China. The name 奈良 is ateji: the characters were chosen for the sound of the word "nara," not for their meaning. Today the city is known for its park with tame deer and Todai-ji temple with its huge bronze Buddha statue.
We'll look at three theories for the origin of the word "nara"—from the verb "to level" to the Korean hypothesis—and why the Japanese call the characters 奈良 ateji, signs chosen for sound. We'll learn what the sacred deer in the city park have to do with it, the legend of Kasuga-taisha shrine, how many years the city remained the capital, and why the court left it. And at the end, the character 奈 from Nara's name: it also lives in the word 奈落, "hell," and in the name of Kanagawa Prefecture.
The Hill Was 'Leveled'—but the Name Came from Sound
The word "nara," according to one theory, goes back to the verb "narasu" (ならす)—"to level, to flatten": in the Nihon Shoki chronicle, this describes how troops trampled the grass and trees on a hill here during a rebellion under Emperor Sujin. According to another, more widely accepted theory today, "nara" is an old word for a flat, cleared place in the mountains; there are quite a few place names with this root across Japan. A third theory traces the name to the Korean word "nara," meaning "country," but not everyone accepts it: in Japan, the word "nara" is used for far more than just this city.
The Characters Were Chosen for Sound, Not Meaning
The characters 奈良 are ateji: they were chosen for the sound of the word "nara," not for their meaning. 奈 in old texts meant the interrogative particle "what?", and 良 means "good"—together they do not describe a hill or a country. The official name of the city in the 8th century was Heijo-kyo (平城京), and the characters themselves have two readings: the city is called Heijo-kyo, but in the name of Emperor Heizei the same 平城 are pronounced differently. According to one theory, the capital was originally called in the Japanese manner—"Nara-no-miyako," "the capital of Nara."
Deer Regarded as Messengers of the Gods
According to the legend of Kasuga-taisha shrine, when the deity Takemikazuchi was invited here in 768, it descended to Mount Mikasa riding a white deer. Since then, the deer in Nara have been revered as sacred and roam freely through the city park—a rare coexistence of wild animals and people in a large city.
Todai-ji and the Great Buddha—A Topic for Another Time
In the center of Nara stands Todai-ji temple with a huge bronze statue of Rushana Buddha: it was cast by order of Emperor Shomu, and the "eye-opening" ceremony was held in 752. This is not the Buddha that sits without a roof in Kamakura—that statue is from a different temple and a different century.
Capital for Over Seventy Years—and Three Theories for the Move
In 710, the court moved the capital to the new city of Heijo-kyo on the site of present-day Nara—thus began the era named after this city, the Nara period. In 784, Emperor Kanmu moved the capital further, to Nagaoka-kyo, and in 794 finally to Heian-kyo, present-day Kyoto; this year usually marks the end of the Nara period. In 1998, eight monuments of the city—including Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, Kasuga-taisha, and the remains of the imperial palace—were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list as "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara."
Why Emperor Kanmu Needed to Leave
Historians do not name a single reason for the move. Among the theories are the too-strong influence of the capital's Buddhist monasteries on the court, the inconvenience of overland roads around Heijo-kyo compared to the rivers near Nagaoka-kyo, which were convenient for transporting goods, and the support of the Hata clan, connected with associates of Emperor Kanmu.
奈—A Character That Lives Almost Only in the City's Name
奈 is the first character in Nara's name. On its own, in old texts, it meant the interrogative particle "what?". In modern language, it lives primarily in proper names: in Nara itself, in the name of Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川), and in the word 奈落—"hell, the trapdoor under the stage." The second character of the name, 良, is much more common: it means "good" and was chosen alongside 奈 only for its sound, with no reference to meaning.
奈 — значение: "what?" in old texts, part of the name Nara, part of the word 奈落, "hell" — онъёми: ナ、ナイ、ダイ — кунъёми: いかん、からなし — 8 штрих(ов). 奈—the first character in Nara's name: on its own it rarely appears outside proper names, but it hides in 神奈川 (Kanagawa) and in the word 奈落, "hell."
On Readings—ナ and ダイ, No Common Kun Reading
奈 has two main on readings—ナ (na) and the rarer ダイ (dai); it essentially has no kun reading for everyday words, and it almost always appears in proper names. The character 良, for comparison, is read リョウ (ryo) as an on reading and よい (yoi) as a kun reading, "good, pleasant," although in the name Nara itself this meaning is not heard at all.
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 奈良 | Nara · Nara | Nara—the city's name itself |
| 奈良県 | Nara-ken · Nara-ken | Nara Prefecture |
| 奈落 | naraku · naraku | Hell, the trapdoor under the stage—the same character 奈 as in the city's name |
| 神奈川 | Kanagawa · Kanagawa | Kanagawa—a prefecture with the same character 奈 |
| 平城京 | Heijō-kyō · Heijō-kyō | Heijo-kyo—the ancient name of the capital on the site of present-day Nara |
Write 奈 along the guides—the character that in Japanese lives primarily in the name Nara.
FAQ
- What kind of city is Nara in Japan?
- Nara is a city in the Kansai region and the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name. From 710 until nearly the end of the 8th century, the country's capital was located here—the first that was conceived as permanent. Today the city is known for its park with tame deer, Todai-ji temple, and its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Where did the name "Nara" come from?
- Linguists have no exact answer—there are three theories. One traces the name to the verb "narasu," "to level": the hill on this site was supposedly trampled by troops while suppressing a rebellion. Another, more widespread, says "nara" is an old word for a flat, cleared plot in the mountains. A third theory links the name to the Korean word "nara," "country," but not everyone accepts it.
- Do the characters 奈良 mean anything by their meaning?
- No: 奈良 is ateji, the characters were chosen for the sound of the word "nara," not for their meaning. 奈 in old texts is the interrogative particle "what?", and 良 means "good," but together they describe neither the terrain nor the history of the place. This is common practice for Japanese place names, where the sound of the name is older than writing itself.
- Why do deer roam freely in Nara?
- According to the legend of Kasuga-taisha shrine, in 768 the deity Takemikazuchi was invited here, and it descended to Mount Mikasa riding a white deer. Since then, the deer in the city have been considered sacred messengers of the gods and are left alone—so within a large city, a herd has survived that no one keeps in a pen.
- How many years was Nara the capital of Japan?
- About seventy years: from 710, when the court moved the capital here and built the city of Heijo-kyo, until 784, when Emperor Kanmu moved the court to Nagaoka-kyo, and then, in 794, to Heian-kyo, present-day Kyoto. Historians usually limit the Nara period to this span, 710–794.
- How is "Nara" written in kanji?
- 奈良, read なら. Both characters are ateji, chosen for their sound: 奈 on its own means "what?" and almost never appears outside proper names, while 良 means "good." These characters do not convey the meaning of the city's name—only its sound.
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Updated: 2026-09-15