Kashiba City

Nara Prefecture

Kashiba has a long history reaching back to the Old Stone Age, running through the Nara Period (710-794), when Manyoshu, the earliest extant collection of Japanese poetry was compiled, and continuing to the present day. Favored with nature and located at the foot of Mt. Futakami (or Nijo), the city commands a magnificent view of the mountain. This wonderful place is referred to in many waka poems in Manyoshu, and is a cradle of some of the nation's ancient history and culture.

Futakami Civilization Center (Nijo-san Museum)

The Futakami Civilization Center was opened in 1992. It consists of a museum, a library, halls and other cultural facilities. The Nijo-san Museum exhibits many precious ancient things. The city library is equipped with such state-of-the-art functions as an information base for lifelong learning and the citizens' hall has a high-definition television theater for locally produced films. The Futakami Civilization Center serves as "the cultural monument" of Kashiba as a legend-rich city.