News On Japan

Researchers Uncover Layout of 7th-Century Imperial Ritual Site in Asuka

NARA, Nov 06 (News On Japan) - Archaeologists have uncovered new details about the remains of an ancient building in Nara Prefecture’s Asuka area, believed to have been used by emperors for imperial ceremonies more than 1,300 years ago.

The latest excavation, conducted since July at the Asuka Palace ruins in the village of Asuka, revealed the structure’s size and internal layout for the first time.

According to the Nara Prefectural Kashihara Archaeological Institute, the building measured about 20 meters from east to west and 11 meters from north to south, with a three-meter-wide passageway connecting it to the emperor’s residential quarters. Inside, the floor was carefully laid with stones and gravel, a design considered to represent the highest level of architectural refinement for political buildings of the era.

Archaeologist Shogo Kita of the Kashihara Archaeological Institute said, “It’s a place where figures once known only from the Chronicles of Japan feel vividly real. From the perspective of studying ancient history, it’s an extremely fascinating site.”

The excavation site will be open to the public on November 8th and 9th.

Source: YOMIURI

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Kagome announced on May 14th that it will temporarily redesign several ketchup products by reducing printed packaging areas and adopting mostly transparent labels as worsening tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt supplies of white ink and other petroleum-based packaging materials across Japan.

Spring bear sightings are continuing across Japan, with wild bears increasingly appearing in residential neighborhoods and urban districts, including incidents involving damaged property and close encounters with residents.

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of robbery-murder after a group of intruders broke into a house in Kamimikawa Town, Tochigi Prefecture, on May 14th, killing a 69-year-old woman and injuring two other family members in what police suspect may have been a crime carried out by a loosely connected criminal group known as "Tokuryu."

Bluefin tuna, now being caught in unusually large numbers around areas such as Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, is becoming significantly more affordable, with some restaurant operators even saying it is cheaper than horse mackerel.

The impact of Japan’s growing naphtha shortage is spreading across a widening range of industries, raising concerns about manufacturing, logistics, and even daily consumer life.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Travel NEWS

A new experiment aimed at the future of transportation began on May 12th at JR Shin-Osaka Station, where a dedicated taxi pickup area exclusively for the ride-hailing app GO has been introduced.

I have often thought that the true rhythm of a city like Tokyo is best understood not from the high-rise lobby of a luxury hotel, but from the quiet side streets where the local vending machines hum through the night and the scent of a neighborhood bakery begins to drift at dawn – a perspective that is becoming increasingly attractive as we all try to navigate through (and at times, away from) a more and more complicated digital world.

A popular geological attraction in Toyooka known for its distinctive volcanic rock formations has reopened after being temporarily closed following a large-scale rock collapse.

A breathtaking scene unfolded before photographers as the setting sun illuminated terraced rice fields stretching toward the coastline in Saga Prefecture.

Damage caused by 'spring bears' emerging from hibernation is increasing across Japan, with sightings now being reported even near major tourist destinations, while those involved in hunter training warn of growing challenges in cultivating new bear hunters.

A tornado-like whirlwind was spotted on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture on May 11th, with dramatic footage capturing the swirling gust as it moved through a port area while lifting seawater into the air.

As rice planting season gets underway, a rare seasonal sight known as the “Upside-Down Hyono Mountain” has appeared in Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture, where the image of Mount Hyono is reflected on the surface of flooded terraced rice fields.

As ferries cut across the open waters between Wakayama and Tokushima during the Golden Week holidays, passengers aboard the Nankai Ferry found themselves enjoying a slower pace of travel far removed from Japan’s notorious highway congestion.