Kashihara City (橿原市)
Kashihara City is located in the central part of Nara Prefecture. The total population is approx. 125,000, and it is the second biggest city after Nara City in Nara Prefecture. The city was named after 'the Kashihara Imperial Palace' owned by Emperor Jinmu.
Kashihara City is often mixed up with Kashiwara City, Osaka Prefecture, because they are connected by the Kintetsu Osaka Line. One sometimes calls Kashihara City, "Ymatokashihara" instead of just "Kashihara" in conversations like phone conversations, for other parties not to mix up with Kashiwara City, located in Osaka Prefecture.
Geography
Most of the city area is plain land, and the elegant figures of the Three Mountains of Yamato, Mt. Unebi, Mt. Amano Kaguyama and Mt. Miminashi, are seen.
Climate
It has an inland climate, hot in summer, cold in winter and little rain, typical of a basin.
Population
Statistics by Nara Prefecture
As of October 1, 2007, the population is 124,631. The growth rate of population from 2002 to 2007 is -0.8 %.
History
Asobe-go, Kume-go, Unate-go, Takaichi County, Yamato Province, and Kamuto-go, Toichi County used to be there in antiquity, and there are many Engishikinaisha (shrines listed in Engishiki laws) such as Kume no miagata-jinja Shrine, Unebi yamaguchi ni imasu-jinja Shrine, Kawamata-jinja Shrine, Takechi no miagata-jinja Shrine, Ame no futotamanomikoto-jinja Shrine, Sogani imasu sogatsuhiko-jinja Shrine.
Fujiwara-kyo (the Fujiwara Palace), the first capital of Japan, was built in 694 and had existed for 16 years until the capital was transferred to Heijo-kyo. In medieval times, Imai-cho as Jinai-cho (temple villages) was developed as an autonomous city.
This site has attracted the attention of people since the end of the Edo period as a place where Emperor Jinmu found a nation, and the Unebi Mausoleum was built there; in the Meiji period Kashihara-jingu Shrine, Kanpei-taisha (large-scale state shrine), was also buiit.
In the high economic growth period, the population inflow occured as a commuter town of Osaka City, Kyoto City and Nara City.
History
February 11, 1956:
Yagi-cho, Imai-cho, Unebi-cho, Masuge-mura, Kamogimi-mura, Takaichi County, and Miminashi-mura, Shiki County were incorporated as Kashihara City.
July 3, 1956:
The city incorporated Kanahashi-mura and Shinzawa-mura, Takaichi County.
July 1, 1957:
The city incorporated the five major Aza - Iitaka, Ogaki, Toyota, Ninokuchi, and Nishi Shindo, located in Tawaramoto-cho, Shiki County.
Japan
Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
February 11, 1966: Miyazaki City got together with Kashihara City as a sister city.
Overseas
Luoyang, Henan province, People's Republic of China
February 12, 2006: Luoyang got together with Kashihara City as a friendship city. The Governorate of Béja, Tunisia is scheduled to be a friendship country of Kashihara City.
Sights and historic scenes
Kashihara-jingu Shrine
Sogani imasu sogatsuhiko-jinja Shrine
Unebi yamaguchi-jinja Shrine
Kume-dera Temple
Mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu
the site of Fujiwara-kyo
The ruins of Moto-Yakushi-ji Temple
Imai-cho
Ofusa Kannon (vernacular term)
Kannon-ji Temple in Bekkaku-honzan (special head temple) of Koyasan Shingon sect
The temple expels evil spirits. The temple is a fudasho (temples where amulets are collected) of Yamato boke-fuji (prevention of senility) reijo kai, Yamato Shichifuku Happo no kai and Yamato jusan butsu reijo kai. The temple is famous for rose and calls itself Hana Mandala (Mandala expressed by flowers).
Niizawa Senzuka burial mounds
Mausoleum of Emperor Senka
Imperial Mausoleum for Emperor Kogen
Masuda Stone Ship
Maruyama-kofun Tumulus
Mise Maruyama-kofun Tumulus
Sightseeing spots
The list below partly overlaps with the list of sights and historic scenes above.
Imai-cho
Ofusa Kannon (vernacular term)
Kashihara-jingu Shrine
Kume-dera Temple
Mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu
Niizawa Senzuka burial mounds - a national historic site
the site of Fujiwara-kyo - a special historic site
The ruins of Moto-Yakushi-ji Temple - a special historic site
Mise Maruyama-kofun Tumulus - a special historic site
Masuda Stone Ship, a historic site designated by Nara Prefecture. The Three Mountains of Yamato, designated a national site of scenic beauty on July 14, 2005, consists of Mt. Unebi, Mt. Amano Kaguyama and Mt. Miminashi.
Rites and festivals
Atago-matsuri Festival
Kasihara Shoko-matsuri Festival 'Mahoroba Festa'
Moonlight in Fujiwara-kyo
The Kashihara Yumenomori Festival