Nara: An Ancient Capital Filled with the Sound of Prayer

Overview

Nara, with a history of 1,200 years, is Japan's first capital city. The city is home to many temples, even older than the city itself, where people pray for the peace and prosperity of the nation. In addition to shrines protecting the whole country, there are also smaller deities that guard individual villages. In Nara, the ancient capital, Shinto and Buddhism are interwoven into daily life, and someone, somewhere is always putting their hands together in a quiet prayer. We see how various aspects of religion are infused into the fabric of the city.