NARA -- At the end of 2001, the Emperor made a comment that received relatively little attention in Japan but one that will, without a doubt, stand as one of the most significant statements of his reign. In speaking about Japan's often troubled relations with the Korean Peninsula, the Emperor noted that he felt a certain kinship with the Korean people.

The subtext of the statement, and the way it was reported outside Japan, was that the Emperor was publicly stating what serious historians and archaeologists had long concluded, which was that Japan's Imperial family has blood connections to the Korean Peninsula. It is in Nara Prefecture where those connections are to be discovered.

Nara, both the city and the prefecture, tends to get short shrift in English-language guidebooks on Japan. Kyoto, only about 30 minutes away by train, is usually the preferred destination of those seeking to experience traditional Japanese culture. The city of Nara is mentioned in passing as an interesting day trip to see the Great Buddha at Todaiji or the deer in Nara Park, not as a place where visitors would want to spend days on end.