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| | Nara, Japan |
 | | The city of Nara, celebrated as the cradle of Japanese culture, lies in central Honshu, to the south of Lake Biwa, surrounded by hills, forests and fields, with the Nara Basin extending to the south. |
 | | Nara rapidly developed into the political and cultural center of the country, and its importance was reflected in its population, which even in these early days reached 200,000. |
 | | The Nara period reached its climax in the reign of Shomu-tenno (701-756), who commissioned the Daibutsu, a bronze statue of Buddha 52ft/ 16m high. |
| www.planetware.com /japan/nara-jpn-ks-nara.htm (627 words) |
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