In the Asuka district, a stone-lined pond lies below a gentle slope, with a channel feeding it and a neat edge of laid cobbles. The Asuka Pond Garden Site was uncovered in the late twentieth century, and it shows that the aristocracy of seventh-century Japan took water seriously, both as a garden feature and as part of ritual. The pond belongs to a type of formal water garden that was introduced from the Asian continent, along with Buddhism and Chinese court culture, and it was probably part of a palace or an elite residence, though the precise function is still debated.
What I find affecting is how modest it is. A pond, a few stones and a channel, now partly reconstructed, but the care in laying the shoreline stones, each chosen and set in place by hand over thirteen centuries ago, says a great deal about the people who made it. Archaeologists have also found wooden objects, which survive in damp ground, giving a rare glimpse of everyday life, such as writing tablets known as mokkan, used to record messages and accounts.
The surroundings are quintessential rural Japan. Small rice paddies, vegetable plots, persimmon trees and farmhouses with grey-tiled roofs line the lane, and the sound is mostly frogs, cicadas, and the occasional tractor. The roads are narrow, lined with drainage ditches on both sides, and edges are soft, so take care when giving way. The local roads link up with the prefectural routes that lead to Sakurai, about four kilometres away, and Kashihara, only slightly farther, where fuel, supermarkets and restaurants can be found.
Time of year matters. In summer the paddies are bright green and the heat is oppressive, with thunderstorms in the afternoon, and mosquitoes are a nuisance in the evening. In autumn the rice turns gold and the persimmons ripen to orange, which is when the whole district looks its best. Winter is clear and cold, with occasional frost on the fields.
If you visit, remember that the sites in Asuka are mostly free to enter and unstaffed, but they are in farmland and near homes, so be quiet, stay on the paths and leave nothing behind. A local bakery or tea shop in the village makes a good stop, and sweets made from mugwort, a local favourite, go well with green tea.