Nara period

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nara-period

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the period span?710 CE – 794 CE
2. What is the primary capital?Heijō-kyō (modern Nara), established in 710 CE
3. What was the Nara period in Japan?The Nara period was a time from 710 to 794 when Japan built its first permanent capital, Heijō-kyō, and learned a lot from China.
4. Why did Japan build a permanent capital called Heijō-kyō?The emperor wanted a stable city that could keep the government together, so they made Heijō-kyō like the Chinese capital Chang'an.

Nara period: A formative era in Japanese history (710-794) marked by the establishment of a permanent capital and significant cultural adoption from China.
Heijō-kyō: The first permanent capital of Japan, established in 710 CE and now known as Nara.
Tang Dynasty: A powerful Chinese imperial dynasty (618-907 CE) whose culture and governance heavily influenced Japan during the Nara period.
Ritsuryō System: A comprehensive legal and administrative code adopted from China, establishing centralized governance in Japan.