The Primitive Age
In the Old Stone Age, there had been an abundance of Sanukaito stones available at the foot of the Nijo Mountain west of the Nara Basin. People of that time shaped Sanukaito stones for hunting equipment and used them for trading around the Kinki district.
Settlement remains from the early Jomon Period were recently excavated in Nara's Yamazoe Village. It was not until the late Jomon Period when people began to find suitable places for hunting, food-gathering, and settlement around the Nara Basin. Around third century B.C., rice cultivation began in the lower swampy areas of the Nara Basin by immigrants from other parts of Asia who brought paddy cultivation techniques to Japan. It is thought that the remains of Karako and Kagi in Tawaramoto Town, are villages of that ages.

The Ancient Times
Large keyhole-shaped burial mounds were constructed between the late third and the early fourth century A.D. at the foot of Miwa Mountain, east of Nara Basin. It is believed that those mounds were for the ancient kings, who eventually expanded their powers over the entire land.
The same kind of burial mounds, such as the Saki mounds in Nara City and the Umami mounds of Koryo Town and Kawai Town were constructed in the northern and the western part of the basin between the late fourth and the fifth century. In the sixth century, the Soga Clan, one of the political powers of that time, moved to Asuka and then strengthened their power by intermarrying with the imperial family. As the clan had close ties with the immigrants from the Korean Peninsular, they supported the immigrants' efforts to bring Buddhist faith throughout the region. Eventually, the Buddhist culture flourished in and around Asuka and Ikaruga, where Horyuji Temple was erected.
The prince, Shotoku, who was closely related to the Soga Clan, became a regent in 593. He sent the first official diplomatic delegates to China during China's Sui Dynasty to learn about their institutions and their city planning, but it was not until after his death that the Reformation of Taika, when the "Ritsuryo" legal system, which was similar to that of Sui and Tang China, was established. Later, the capital city, Fujiwara-kyo, was built in Kashihara city after the Jinshin Disturbance.
In 710, the capital was moved to the northern part of the Nara Basin. This capital, Heijo-kyo, was modeled after the Chinese capital, Changan. Many temples that had been located in Fujiwara-kyo were moved to the new capital, Heijo-kyo. In addition, the new, larger temples such as Kofukuji and Todaiji were built in the eastern part of Heijo-Kyo capital.
Then in 794, the capital organ was moved to Kyoto, as the Heian-kyo capital. Though the imperial family and powerful clans had moved to this new capital, the temples and shrines remained in Nara, which kept the city active with visitors.

The Medieval Times
Nara had stayed away from Japan's political arena in Heian period. However, at the end of Heian period, a conflict between Heishi clan and Genji clan had started to escalate. Many temples, such as, Todaiji and Kofukuji were burned down by the Heishi clan during the conflict. Minamoto no Yoritomo eventually won the conflict and started a government by Japan's feudal government, the shogunate, in 1192 in Kamakura. He protected Buddhist culture and the temples in Nara. Artisans of Buddhist images including Unkei and Kaikei created sculptures that have survived the times such as "Nio-zou", the great guardians of the Southgate of the Todaiji temple.
In the late Kamakura Period (1192-1333), the imperial power was divided into the Southern Imperial Court and Northern Imperial Court. The tension between the two courts intensified and the Southern Imperial Court established a government in Yoshino, the southern part of Nara, bringing the political arena back to Nara.
In Muromachi Period (1338-1573), powerful local clans in Nara had become warriors and joined in the rebellion in Kyoto which is called the war of Onin.
In Sengoku Period, there were also uprisings by people who believed in Ikko-syu, a sect of Buddhism. Kofukuji Temple was then burned down by that sect during this period. The sect gradually gained popularity among peasants.
This was a period characterized by Japan's inferiors overthrowing their superiors. The battles expanded around the country, including Nara. Matsunaga Hisahide and Tsutsui Junkei were the two confronting powers in Nara during that period, and Todaiji temple was dealt a lot of damage during the conflict.
Oda Nobunaga, who was aiming for ruling all over the country, killed Matsunaga Hisahide. Then, Nara was to be governed by Tsutsui Junkei who followed after Oda Nobunaga. After Nobunaga's death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi took power and ruled the entire country. He sent his brother Hidenaga to Koriyama Castle in Nara. Hidenaga followed his brother's policies such as prohibiting commercial activities in the areas other than his own castle town, and carrying out the cadastral survey throughout Nara.
The Early Modern Times
After the battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu established a new shogunate government in Edo, Tokyo. As he saw Nara as an important city in Kinki district, he held Nara as his demesne.
There were 8 provinces in Nara in 1868 where most lords were not too politically powerful, but some lords like Matsudaira Nobuyuki in Koriyama were keen on learning such as politics.
In the Edo Period, craft products such as lacquer ware, paper fans, ink brushes, and ink were made in the northern part of Nara. Also Japanese fine noodles, somen were made at the foot of Miwa Mountain and commercial crops such as cotton and colza were produced and traded through merchants in Osaka. Cotton textile businesses were developed in Koriyama, in Tawaramoto, and in Takada and fabrics such as Nara Sarashi were actively produced. The traditional rituals in the shrines and temples were restored during this period, making Nara attractive again to many visitors.

The Modern Times
After that government was ended, Nara Prefecture was established by a new central government. Nara's present Prefecture regions were divided into 15 prefectures at that time, but consolidated into one prefecture later. However, due to the government's consolidation policy, Nara Prefecture was at one point consolidated into Sakai Prefecture in 1876, and then later Sakai Prefecture was consolidated into Osaka Prefecture in 1881. The economy in Nara became stagnant at that time as the consolidation made public works projects disadvantageous. Therefore, council members and intellectuals from Nara strongly and persistently called for the re-establishment of Nara Prefecture. Their efforts were finally recognized in 1887 and Nara again became a Prefecture.
Thereafter, a social infrastructure was developed rapidly in Nara through roads and railroads, which revitalized the economy.
In the agricultural area, the growth of rice varieties and improvement of fertilizer applications increased the yields dramatically. Nara became famous for having high yields of rice. In addition, the Yamato watermelon, produced at Nara Basin, became widely renown.
In the industrial area, the textile industry had grown from the establishment of cotton spinning companies in Koriyama and in Takada. After WWI, industries such as pharmaceutical processing, food processing and timber processing flourished.
There had been many historical temples and Buddha images in Nara. However, the surge of the anti-Buddhist movement after the Meiji Restoration damaged the temples and Buddha images severely. Many temples were abolished and the five-story pagoda in Kofukuji was even put up for sale.
In 1871, a law to protect precious historical assets was established. Thereafter, the value of the ancient temples and Buddha images became gradually recognized.
During the rapid economic growth period after WWII, a lot of residential districts were developed and the population of Nara Prefecture increased dramatically. Land development was done everywhere, including the construction of dams for water control in Nara's mountainous region.
As a prefecture in which the both old and new cultures coexist in harmony, Nara Prefecture will promote a sound economic development while protecting its historic landscapes and precious cultural assets.