Fujiwara Palace
Plan a visit
Remains / former-palace site — Visit the former palace site and its archaeological landscape, not an intact palace. Official Nara visitor information describes markers indicating the former palace layout; there are no furnished imperial apartments here.
Official source / visitor information
Source review: 2026-10-12.
History & Character
Fujiwara Palace served as the imperial residence and government headquarters from 694 until the court moved to Nara in 710. Surrounded by a planned capital, it marked an important stage between the earlier palaces of the Asuka region and the larger Nara palace system.
The site is understood through archaeology rather than surviving palace rooms. Excavated wooden documents, known as mokkan, provide evidence of administration and the society supporting the court. Their inscriptions give the residence a history of daily government as well as imperial ceremony; the research institute’s report explains their archaeological context.
Sources for this description
Description checked 9 October 2026.
藤原宮
Ancient Imperial Palace / Capital Palace
694–710
SRC-JPN-001, SRC-JPN-002
Geography
Geographic Path: Japan → Nara Prefecture → Kashihara
Local Place: Fujiwara-kyō / Kashihara
Estate / Micro-location: Fujiwara capital palace site
Browse Japan Palace Geography →
Emperors, Residents & Use by Reign
| Period | Emperor | Relationship | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 694–697 | Empress Jito | capital palace | Jitō moved the court to Fujiwara-kyō. | High |
| 697–707 | Emperor Mommu | capital palace | Fujiwara Palace was the central imperial palace. | High |
| 707–710 | Empress Gemmei | capital palace | Gemmei ruled from Fujiwara until the move to Heijō. | High |