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”Man’yō-shū,” which means “A Collection of Myriad Leaves,” is Japan’s earliest existing anthology of poetry and contains approximately 4,500 pieces composed by people from different parts of the country.
Among the places mentioned, it is those in Nara which are referred to most frequently in the Man’yō-shū poems, and still today, Nara Prefecture is dotted with historic sites and beautiful natural landscapes that are related to the Man’yō-shū. Nara may well be called the “home of Man’yō.”
The Nara Prefecture Complex of Man’yō Culture was established in Asuka Village in Nara in September 2001 as a comprehensive cultural institute for ancient culture emphasizing Man’yō-shū. It is indeed a suitable facility for Nara.
The excavation conducted before the construction of this facility unearthed an ancient factory site, Asukaike Ruins, which was later designated as a Historic Site by the national government. The facility coexists with these ruins, and we are trying to use them creatively while carefully preserving them, for example, by displaying the reconstructed site. We hope to contribute to the development of the local community while inviting people to travel back 1,300 years to the world of Man’yō.

Naoko Machida "Cats at Every Turn"