The area also has beautiful natural scenery as well as a number of traditional holidays, he added.

The year 2010 is also the city of Nara’s 1,300 year anniversary as a former capital of Japan, and Nara week at Expo 2010 is one of the series of events celebrating the anniversary, he said.

  Artists perform a drama depicting the story of Abe no Nakamaro (698–770), a Japanese diplomat who studied in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Artists perform a drama depicting the story of Abe no Nakamaro.

Artists perform a drama depicting the story of Abe no Nakamaro.

He hoped that Nara Week will attract more people to visit Nara to experience its culture and promote friendship as well as cooperation between China and Japan, Kubota added.