◆Continued for Over Half a Century, Even More Popular with Expectations for World Heritage Registration of 'Asuka-Fujiwara'◆ Kansai University Offers the 52nd 'Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture'
Kansai University will hold the '52nd Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture' in Asuka Village from April 2026 to March 2027. Amid growing momentum for the World Heritage registration of 'Asuka-Fujiwara,' the 14-session course will multifaceted disseminate its historical value.
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Kansai University will hold the '2026 Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture - Yamato Asuka Mahoroba School -' (14 sessions in total) at the Asuka Village Central Community Center from Sunday, April 12, 2026, to Sunday, March 7, 2027.
[Points of this matter]
- A popular lecture series that has been running for over half a century. Attention is growing due to expectations for the World Heritage registration of the 'Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara.'
- Triggered by the discovery of the murals in the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus, research results are returned to society. Over 110,000 total attendees.
- Promoting excavation surveys of tumuli and ruins and World Heritage registration in cooperation with Asuka Village.
This lecture series began in 1975, triggered by the discovery of the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus, famous for its brightly colored murals, and celebrates its 52nd year (over 500 sessions in total) this year. While it boasts deep-rooted popularity, especially among seniors with many returning attendees, there is also participation from young people and those outside the Kinki region, bringing the total number of attendees to date to about 110,000. Even now, more than 50 years after the discovery of the century achieved by the late Assistant Professor Aboshi Yoshinori (at the time, later Professor Emeritus) and other archaeology staff of this university in 1972, its popularity knows no bounds.
In this lecture series, we will take up research and historical value concerning the 'Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara,' which has been attracting increasing attention in recent years, from multiple angles, and develop lectures that lead to disseminating the appeal of the region and deepening understanding. Particularly this year, in light of the growing social interest as the examination for World Heritage registration progresses, we have enriched the lectures focusing on the 'Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara.'
In addition, for the 5th lecture on Sunday, August 30, we will invite Mr. Masashi Kinoshita, Cultural Property Advisor of Asuka Village and Professor Emeritus of Tokyo Gakugei University, who has led research on the 'Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara' for many years, to give a special lecture. This lecture is scheduled to be held in a different format from regular sessions, and is positioned as an opportunity to widely share the knowledge of a leading expert in the field.
In the first lecture on April 12, Mr. Chikara Inoue, Professor of the Faculty of Letters and Museum Director of this university, will give a lecture on the theme of 'World Heritage Sites in South Korea and the "Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara".' Going forward, the university will further strengthen its collaboration with the local community by cooperating with local governments that are promoting efforts aiming for the World Heritage registration of tumulus-related historical sites.
< Overview of the 2026 52nd Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture - Yamato Asuka Mahoroba School - >
[Period] April 12 (Sun) - March 7, 2027 (Sun) <14 sessions in total>
[Location] Asuka Village Central Community Center (91-1 Kawahara, Asuka Village, Takaichi District, Nara Prefecture)
[Capacity] 200 people
[Target Audience] Anyone with an interest in history and culture, including the Asuka period
[Tuition Fee] Annual fee 5,000 yen, single lecture 1,000 yen
*Free for residents of Asuka Village, students of this university, and junior high and high school students interested in this lecture.
[Inquiries regarding application] Kansai University Educational Supporters Association, Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture Section TEL: 06-6368-0055
[Organizer] Kansai University Asuka Cultural Research Institute, Asuka Village Board of Education
[Past 3 years' results]
FY2025: 2,018 people, FY2024: 1,929 people, FY2023: 1,826 people (total attendees)
Event details: https://www.kansai-u.ac.jp/pa/event/asuka.html
<2026 Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture> Schedule, Instructors, Themes, etc.
*Holding time is 13:00-15:00, special lecture is 10:00-12:00
[Points of this matter]
- A popular lecture series that has been running for over half a century. Attention is growing due to expectations for the World Heritage registration of the 'Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara.'
- Triggered by the discovery of the murals in the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus, research results are returned to society. Over 110,000 total attendees.
- Promoting excavation surveys of tumuli and ruins and World Heritage registration in cooperation with Asuka Village.
This lecture series began in 1975, triggered by the discovery of the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus, famous for its brightly colored murals, and celebrates its 52nd year (over 500 sessions in total) this year. While it boasts deep-rooted popularity, especially among seniors with many returning attendees, there is also participation from young people and those outside the Kinki region, bringing the total number of attendees to date to about 110,000. Even now, more than 50 years after the discovery of the century achieved by the late Assistant Professor Aboshi Yoshinori (at the time, later Professor Emeritus) and other archaeology staff of this university in 1972, its popularity knows no bounds.
In this lecture series, we will take up research and historical value concerning the 'Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara,' which has been attracting increasing attention in recent years, from multiple angles, and develop lectures that lead to disseminating the appeal of the region and deepening understanding. Particularly this year, in light of the growing social interest as the examination for World Heritage registration progresses, we have enriched the lectures focusing on the 'Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara.'
In addition, for the 5th lecture on Sunday, August 30, we will invite Mr. Masashi Kinoshita, Cultural Property Advisor of Asuka Village and Professor Emeritus of Tokyo Gakugei University, who has led research on the 'Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara' for many years, to give a special lecture. This lecture is scheduled to be held in a different format from regular sessions, and is positioned as an opportunity to widely share the knowledge of a leading expert in the field.
In the first lecture on April 12, Mr. Chikara Inoue, Professor of the Faculty of Letters and Museum Director of this university, will give a lecture on the theme of 'World Heritage Sites in South Korea and the "Palace Capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara".' Going forward, the university will further strengthen its collaboration with the local community by cooperating with local governments that are promoting efforts aiming for the World Heritage registration of tumulus-related historical sites.
< Overview of the 2026 52nd Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture - Yamato Asuka Mahoroba School - >
[Period] April 12 (Sun) - March 7, 2027 (Sun) <14 sessions in total>
[Location] Asuka Village Central Community Center (91-1 Kawahara, Asuka Village, Takaichi District, Nara Prefecture)
[Capacity] 200 people
[Target Audience] Anyone with an interest in history and culture, including the Asuka period
[Tuition Fee] Annual fee 5,000 yen, single lecture 1,000 yen
*Free for residents of Asuka Village, students of this university, and junior high and high school students interested in this lecture.
[Inquiries regarding application] Kansai University Educational Supporters Association, Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture Section TEL: 06-6368-0055
[Organizer] Kansai University Asuka Cultural Research Institute, Asuka Village Board of Education
[Past 3 years' results]
FY2025: 2,018 people, FY2024: 1,929 people, FY2023: 1,826 people (total attendees)
Event details: https://www.kansai-u.ac.jp/pa/event/asuka.html
<2026 Asuka Historical and Literary Lecture> Schedule, Instructors, Themes, etc.
*Holding time is 13:00-15:00, special lecture is 10:00-12:00