Asuka

Asuka is a Japanese term used as both a place name and a personal given name, and it also refers to historical and cultural concepts in Japan. The most widely recognized uses are historical and geographic, with additional presence in modern popular culture.

The Asuka period is a division of Japanese history roughly spanning the late 6th to early 8th century (approximately 538/552–710). It is named after the Asuka region in present-day Nara Prefecture, where early Buddhist temples and imperial sites were located. The period is marked by the introduction of Buddhism and Chinese writing to Japan, the establishment of centralized governance under the Yamato court, and substantial cultural and political reforms. Its end is usually placed around the move of the capital to Heijo-kyo (Nara) and the beginning of the Nara period.

Asuka also refers to a historic geographic region in what is now Nara Prefecture, known for its kofun burial mounds and early temples such as Asuka-dera. The area is an important archaeological and cultural site, associated with the origins of written Japanese and Buddhist temple architecture. Many ancient tombs and ruins are found in and around this region, which helped give the Asuka period its name.

Asuka is a common feminine given name in Japan, though its meaning varies with kanji spelling. It can be written in several ways, including 飛鳥, 明日香, or 朝香, among others. The name appears in contemporary usage, literature, and media. In popular culture, Asuka Langley Soryu is a well-known fictional character from the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, pilot of Evangelion Unit-02.