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The reconstructed vermilion Former Imperial Audience Hall (Daigokuden) of Heijo Palace on a lawn under blue sky
Photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nara · historic site

Heijo Palace Site Historical Park

平城宮跡歴史公園

The palace site from when Nara was Japan's capital about 1,300 years ago. Rebuilt vermilion halls and gates in open grassland show the ancient capital's scale.

Suzakumon Gate seen at the end of the wide Suzaku avenue at the Heijo Palace site
Photo: 名古屋太郎, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Inside the Daigokuden hall with a throne-like structure and red pillars
Photo: Motokoka, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The heart of Heijo-kyo, the capital for 74 years

In 710, Empress Genmei moved the capital from Fujiwara-kyo to what is now the city of Nara. This new capital was Heijo-kyo. It was modelled on Chang'an, the capital of Tang China at the time, and more than 100,000 people are said to have lived in the large city, whose streets were laid out in a grid like a Go board. The 74 years until the capital moved to Nagaoka-kyo in 784 are what Japanese history calls the Nara period.

Heijo Palace was the district of palace buildings and government offices at the centre of Heijo-kyo. It held the emperor's residence, the halls for ceremonies and the offices of state, and only a very limited circle of people, such as members of the imperial family, nobles and officials, were allowed in. From the Meiji into the Taisho era, local people formed a preservation society to protect the site, and in 1952 it was designated a Special Historic Site of Japan. Today it is part of the World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara and is being developed as a national government park.

The Daigokuden and Suzakumon, brought back to life

The First Daigokuden (Imperial Audience Hall), on the north side of the park, was where the country's most important ceremonies took place, such as an emperor's enthronement and audiences with foreign envoys. It was reconstructed in 2010. It is about 44 m wide at the front and about 27 m tall, and it uses 44 vermilion pillars 70 cm across and about 97,000 roof tiles.

In front of the Daigokuden, reconstruction of the surrounding corridors and gates continues. The main gate, the Daigokumon, was completed in March 2022, and the East Tower beside it in March 2026. The West Tower is still to be built.

At the southern entrance to the park stands the Suzakumon Gate, reconstructed in 1998. In the square in front of the gate, people in the Nara period are said to have seen off and welcomed foreign envoys and to have gathered to exchange poems.

Start at Heijo-kyu Izanai-kan

Heijo-kyu Izanai-kan, east of the Suzakumon Gate, is the park's visitor centre. It displays a 1:200 reconstruction model of the whole palace, large-screen films, a 1:5 structural model made for the reconstruction of the Daigokuden, and excavated objects. It helps you get a picture of the whole site before you set out across the vast park.

On the east side of the park you will also find the foundations of a second Daigokuden (the Second Daigokuden) and the To-in Garden, which was used for banquets and ceremonies. Because the centre of the capital shifted between the first and second halves of the Nara period, Heijo Palace has the remains of two Daigokuden from different times.

Getting there and getting around

From the south exit of Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station, it is about a 20-minute walk to either the Daigokuden or Suzakumon Hiroba (the square by the Suzakumon Gate). By bus, you can go from Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station, Kintetsu Nara Station or JR Nara Station to the Suzakumon Hiroba-mae stop. The park is very large, so the official website recommends renting a bicycle.

There are no fences around the site, so anyone can wander freely. However, buildings such as the Daigokuden and Izanai-kan have opening hours and closing days. These can change, so check the official website.

Tips

  • The Daigokuden is on the north side of the park and the Suzakumon Gate and Izanai-kan on the south side, and Heijo Palace measures about 1 km from east to west and from north to south. If you want to see both, allow plenty of walking time or use a bicycle.
  • Car parks get crowded in the tourist season, so public transport is recommended.

Sources

Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

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