Sakurai, Nara

Sakurai (桜井市) is a Japanese city in Nara Prefecture on the island of Honshū.

History
Sakurai is home to Ōmiwa Shrine. It is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan.

The shrine is linked with brewing sake.

According to tradition, Sakurai was sometimes the site of an Imperial Palace, including
 * Hatsuse no Asakura Palace during the reign of Emperor Yūryaku
 * Iware no Mikakuri Palace during the reign of Emperor Seinei
 * Hatsuse no Minaki Palace during the reign of Emperor Buretsu
 * Iware no Tamaho Palace during the reign of Emperor Keitai
 * Hinokuma no Iorino Palace during the reign of Emperor Senka
 * Osata no Sakitama Palace or Osada no Miya during the reign of Emperor Bidatsu

Sakurai is part of Yukio Mishima's novel, Runaway Horses.

Related pages

 * Capital of Japan

Other websites

 * Sakurai City website