InsideJapan News Network

The remains of what may have been a palace built in the third century have been unearthed in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture.

Researchers excavating the Makimuku ruins claim they have found evidence of three buildings, all of which face in the same direction, in addition to fortified barriers stretching for 40 metres, reports the Asahi Shimbun.

An official from the Kashihara Archaeological Institute said that the existence of an array of barriers suggested that the location has special significance.

It is the first time that structures of this kind have been found and the city's board of education is planning to continue the archaeological dig next month.

Those interested in learning more about Japanese history may want to pay a visit to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which looks at everyday life in the country's capital from the 17th century onwards.

Meanwhile, the Ota Memorial Museum of Art features a vast collection of works collected by the tycoon Seiji Ota.

Written by Mark Smith