奈良 was Japan's capital from 710-784 CE (the Nara period,
奈良时代). Its layout and architecture were modeled on Tang-dynasty Chang'an (
唐长安). The
唐招提寺 (Toshodai-ji) was founded by the Chinese monk Jianzhen (
鉴真), making Nara a key node in Tang-Japan cultural transmission. The kanji
奈良 are the original Japanese spelling (meaning 'gentle slope') — Chinese borrowed them directly rather than transliterating phonetically.
