Nara and the Silk Roads
奈良とシルクロード
Cultural Exchange on the Silk Roads: Nara
During autumn 2019 sacred sculptures and ritual objects from Nara were displayed at the British Museum. To deepen the encounter with these spiritual objects from Nara, Japan House London hosted a series of Shinto and Buddhist experiences throughout October and November.
Nara’s links to Buddhism date back to 500-700 CE, when the area served as the eastern end of the silk road, which brought continental Asian culture, including Buddhism, to Japan. Nara become the centre of Japan’s governance and saw the creation of some of the country’s most significant Buddhist temples and monuments, many of which remain today. Many of these make up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara – a designated World Heritage Site.