Nara period (710-794 CE)
Historical term for the era when Nara was the capital of Japan, known for the establishment of a centralized government and the spread of Buddhism.
Buddhism spread in Japan during the Nara period.
A representative building of the Nara period is Tōdai-ji.
Standard modern spelling for the Nara period.
Rarely used kanji form; 平城 is an old name for Nara.
Rarely used kanji form; 寧楽 is an old name for Nara.
From 奈良 (Nara, the capital city) + 時代 (period, era). The name Nara itself is of uncertain origin, possibly from the verb ならす (to flatten) referring to the flat land, or from the Korean word nara (country).