Nara, city, Japan, capital of Nara Prefecture, southern Honshu Island, near Osaka. The principal manufactures are India ink, fans, and toys. In Nara Park is one of the largest bronze statues in the world, a 16.2-m (53.5-ft) statue of Buddha. Also in Nara are the temples of Kasuga and Todai-ji. From 710 to 784, Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan. It is the home of Nara Women's University (1908). Population (1999) 363,303.
