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#06 The Nara Period
Click here to go to the YouTube video Once the Ritsuryo system was in place, the government built a new capital called the Heijo-kyo in Nara. The 74 years that Heijo-kyo was the capital of Japan, starting in 710, are known as the Nara period. From Heijo Palace, where the emperor resided, a 70-meter wide Suzaku-Oji road ran north to south, dividing the capital into east and west. Markets were set up on the east and west sides, and goods brought from various places were bought and sold using coins. The wooden tablets excavated from the Heijo Palace site show how people lived in those days. Roads connecting the capital…