Yamato Province (大和国)
Yamato Province is one of the ryoseikoku (provinces) once established under the local administration system in Japan. This province was in the Kinai region (the five capital provinces surrounding the ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto), and was ranked as a province ruled by governor in Engishiki (codes and procedures on national rites and prayers). Its territory covered today's Nara Prefecture. The province was also called Washu.
Initially, it was written as "大倭" but was changed to "大養徳" for ten years from 737 during the Nara period. It is said that it was in 758 or thereafter that the representation of '大和' was formally determined.
For Yamato as the regional name, see "Yamato."
Kokufu (provincial capital)
The provincial capital was located in Wakinokami, Katsuraginokami no kori (now the northeastern part of Gose City), but was relocated in Karu no chi, Takaichi no kori (now the Joroku intersection located on the boundary between Ogaru-cho and Ishikawa-cho in Kashihara City, which was once called " Karu no chimata") due to the relocation of the Heijo-kyo capital. The provincial capital is unknown although several places are regarded as its possible sites. Since no shugosho (provincial administration) office was established, Kofuku-ji Temple functioned as the office.
According to the Japanese dictionary written by Ekirin, the capital is located in Toichi no kori.
Ichinomiya, kokubun-ji temple, etc. Todai-ji Temple is generally regarded as the kokubun-ji temple (the provincial temple built under the orders of the Emperor), but Manpo-in Temple in Kashihara City is also said to have been the kokubun-ji temple. Hokke-ji Temple is the kokubun-niji temple (the provincial nunnery temple built under the orders of the Emperor).
In the engishiki jimmyocho (a register of shrines in Japan), 128 gods enshrined at grand shrines (including 47 powerful myojin gods at 26 myojin grand shrines) and 158 gods at small shrines, which total to 286 gods, are recorded, and all are kanpeisha (shrines where religious ceremonies were conducted by jingikan officers).
Ichinomiya (the highest ranking shrine) was Omiwa Shrine in Sakurai City, but there have not been any documents that the shrine calls itself ichinomiya. There are no other shrines including ninomiya (the second highest ranking shrine). Soja (merged shrine) is Kokufu Shrine (Shimotosa, Takatori-cho, Takaichi-gun, Nara Prefecture).