This is the site of the Heijokyu palace, registered as a World Heritage site in 1998. The roads were laid out on a grid pattern, and to the north of the center, the Heijo-kyu Palace was built. In the grounds of the palace surrounded by a fence, there was the residence of the emperor and the Council Hall where ceremonies were performed. It is said that thousands of officials worked there. Its underground structural remains, unparalleled in the world, and it is here that the first mokkan wooden tablets in have been discovered in Japan. The site is a treasure trove of history.

Photograph provided by Nara visitors Bureau