Before the capital was moved to Heijo in 710, Fujiwara (Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture) was the first capital to be established in 701, and the Taiho Code was enacted, giving birth to a nation. The area around here, together with the Asuka period up until that point, is called "Asuka Fujiwara" and is currently undergoing application for the World Heritage registration. A gagaku school was officially established within the province. From the top of Amagashi Hill, where the former residence of the Soga clan, who were wiped out after only four generations, remains, you can see the Yamato Sanzan mountains, which are also mentioned in the Manyo Anthology, as well as the Nara Plain. By reading not only the Manyo Anthology but also Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, you may be able to imagine what people were thinking at the time.

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It is filled with legends and stories that have been passed down since long before our time. The Yamato myth of Jimmu arriving here guided by the Yatagarasu is well known. The Kashihara Shrine is home to the dormitory of the first Emperor Jimmu, whose trademark is the Yatagarasu. It is said that the children of Kume played an active role in carrying on that culture, and the rice-growing song and dance they performed is also called Kume-mai, and is now an indispensable ritual at the Emperor's Nihiname Festival and enthronement ceremony. In addition, the Kashihara Shrine is also located in Kume Town. The names of the eight million gods, from Amaterasu Omikami to Jimmu, mean rice cultivation, and the foundations that we today have almost forgotten still live on here.