Kōryō, Nara

Kōryō 広陵町
Town
Koryo Town Office
Flag Emblem
Location of Kōryō in Nara Prefecture
Kōryō Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°33′N 135°45′E
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Nara Prefecture
District	Kitakatsuragi
Government
• Mayor	Yoshiyuki Yamamura
Area
• Total	16.34 km2 (6.31 sq mi)
Population  (March 31, 2017)
• Total	35,021
• Density	2,100/km2 (5,600/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
Website	www.town.koryo.nara.jp

Kōryō (広陵町, Kōryō-chō) is a town located in Kitakatsuragi District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Including among its landmarks Kudara Palace, Kōryō served as a temporary capital of Japan from 640 to 642 AD. Although Kōryō is primarily agricultural, it also has a strong sock-making industry, consisting of 40% of the country's sock production.

As of March 2017, the town has a population of 35,021 and a density of 2,100 persons per km². The total area is 16.34 km².

Etymology

Kudara is a reference to the Korean kingdom of Baekje and "Koryo" is a reference to Korea. However, the kanji making up the town's name literally translate to 'many tombs', as the town has one of the highest concentrations of kofun in Japan.

History

In 640 the capital of Japan moved from Kashihara to Kōryō, with Kudara Palace serving as the seat of power. In 642 the capital of Japan was relocated from Kōryō to Asuka.

The modern town of Kōryō was founded in 1955, with the town having celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2015.

Geography

Koryo has two distinct districts, Mamigaoka and Kasa. Mamigaoka is a relatively new neighborhood that houses many shops and restaurants. It is much more affluent than Kasa, which is sometimes referred to as 'Old Town'.

Notable residents

• Tadahiro Nomura, one of the most famous judo competitors in Japan
• Toyokazu Nomura, retired judoka

External links

• Media related to Kōryō, Nara at Wikimedia Commons
• Kōryō official website (in Japanese)