Nara was the Imperial Capital of Japan between 710 and 784 A.D. The city is full of places of historic and artistic interest. Nara is now the capital city of Nara Prefecture. Many of the classic structures that house the treasures of art survived the fires of the civil wars during the middle ages and stand today almost as they were in the 8th century. It is one of the few cities in Japan that did not suffer air raids during World Warⅱ. The city has retained its quiet and classic atmosphere down through the centuries. The first thing to be seen when one approaches the city is the gigantic tiled roof of the Great Buddha Hall, the Daibutsuden. It is one of the largest wooden structures in the world, 49m high. Another thing that comes into view is the 50m-high five-story pagoda of Kohfukuji Temple, the second-highest pagoda in Japan before World Warⅱ.